The sun., 1897-05-02
Tho Reserve Ship System.

Iho teberN0 5nhp bybtem.
1t is the belief of Secretary LONG that
the time is now ripe for introducing the
reserve ship system, which his predecessor
recommended, on the faith of its obvious
economy and Of its use in all the great Eu-
ropean navies.
Our relations with England are less
menacing than they were a while ago, and
any possible relations with Spain need not
give us concern. Besides, the new ships are
coming along 80 fast that with the number
of enlisted mon limited by law we must put
we'll tried ships out Of commission or else
In reserve under small crews, in order to
get men for testing the new ones in
regular cruises. The Iowa, our biggest ship
yet afloat; the gunboats Nashville, Will
mington, Helena, Annapolis, Vicksburg,
Newport, Princeton, Wheeling, and Mari
eta, a group Of torpedo boats, and some
vessels under repair but soon to return to
for, and the principle Of robbing Peter to
pay Paul must in this matter be adopted.
All European navies, too, adopt it. They
must have powerful fleets, but wish to
avoid the needless cost of keeping all their
ships mobilized and on a war footing at all
times. England, according to n calculation
made by Secretary HERBERT, has over half
it's armored vessels and nearly half its un-
armored in reserve, the combined total be-
ing AZ per cent; France has three-fourths
Of It's armored and three.fifths Of its un-
armored with total Of 65 per cent, and also
20 per cent of its torpedo boats; Germany,
ha nf IN hal
armored, and q total Of 81 per cent, with over
nine-tenths Of its torpedo boats; Italy, SO
per cent. Of arnorcd, 90 Of unarmored, and
6Sl2 in oil, with 80 per cent. of torpedo
boats. In brief, these four countries have
581a per cent. Of their vessels in reserve to
43la in commission, and far heavier ratio
of torpedo boats. Fully two-thirds of the
armored strength is in reserve to one.third
active and SO per cent. of the battle ships,
which are expensive to maintain.
What system, then, shall our country
adoptl There are differences in the Euro
pean nations. largely depending on the
number Of officers and men assigned to
ships in reserve. and the times allowed for
having the various classes Of reserve ships
ready for sea. 1t is understood that the
SHIELD, and his principal assistant. Com.
mander DIcKINs, are studying the subject,
and 1t has been intimated that Secretary
LONG inclines to the German plan, pre-
sumably with such notifications as our
service might require.
In the German system, as Secretary HER
BERT has described it. there are three
classes of reserves. The first is, In hull and
equipment, ready for sea, with coal for q
days full steaming aboard, and engines
that can be ready in forty eight hours. The
crews are reduced, but with leading posts
filled by the men to whom they would
belong on mobilization. Two or three such
ships constitute reserve division, and
quartered on one of them, called the
StammschiT, which Is fully Differed, are
the combined reserve crews. The COM
mander must see that all the ships can be
ready for battle within five or six days.
In this ssystem there will be torpedo reserve
divisions of eight boats and one as Stamm-
boot, and this last, with at least six others
in the division, must be capable of going to
sea In ten hours after orders are received.
The other two classes of reserve ships are
In the hands of the navy yard authorities.
The second class are structurally complete,
and can be made ready for battle in three
weeks; the third class need extensive alter.
ations and repairs, and no time for readi-
ness is fixed in their case.
New London, League Island, the Hudson
above New York, and the James and York
rivers have all been considered as possible
sites of reserve stations. Civil Engineer
ENDIcorT has planned a largo receiving
basin at League Island. deep enough to
take in our heaviest battle ships, and the
advantage of fresh water for laying up steel
hulls in ordinary is well understood. 1t Is
generally believed, however, that the big.
ger cruisers will be first to go in re-
serve, the Columbia, perhaps, leading off.
In the autumn, one or two of the battle
ships may follow, and small new gunboats
will soon be ready for foreign stations.
1t remains to determine the number of
men for reserve crews and the methods of
mobilizing reserve ships from time to time.
When the torpedo boats become too numer-
GUS to keep in active service, they may be
laid up In sheds. We think, however, that
while the reserve system will be perfected
and experiments made with 1t, only few
ships not needing repairs will be laid up
before the latter part of the year.
The Legal Disabilities OF Dogs.