The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-11-30
ON NAVAL MILITIA.

Secretary Longs Report Relating to
 This Branch.
 In his first annual report, made bub- lie to-day, Secretary Long of the navy department makes the following refer ences to the naval militia:
 The department has paid much atten- tion to the development of the naval militia The appropriation of s5000 for this purpose, after deducting $2,000 for books of instruction, was allotted among fifteen states: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey. Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Geor- gia, Louisiana, California, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio.
 The state of Ohio organized a naval militia during the past year, and was included for the first time in the naval allotment. Illinois has mustered in four divisions and will share in the next allotment. Virginia has organized one division, but it has not yet been formally mustered in. This makes a total at the present time of seventeen states having naval militia organiza- tions During the past summer the as- sistant secretary of the navy personally visited and inspected the naval militia of Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and New York, in their annual encampments, and in his report to the department states that he was greatly pleased with the zeal and efficiency shown by the different organizations. The different battalions all had a. tour of duty on board the vessels of the navy during the past summer except those of North Carolina and South Carolina.
 Demand is continually made by the naval militia for old vessels, and re- gently the Yantic has been sent to the lakes for the use of the Michigan or ganization. The supply of old wooden vessels is practically exhausted, and the department has tried the experi- ment of loaning monitors, and the re- suits have not so far been satisfactory, as monitors are poor ships for cruising or for use as barracks.
 But small sum is appropriated for the maintenance and care of the naval militia, and this sum becomes smaller for each division from year to year, in- asmuch as the number of organizations continually increases The department is therefore not able to drill and super wise these organizations as it would like to do, and they must be left largely to their own good sense, energy and initia- tive. In consequence, there is a great variety in the condition of efficiency reached by the different organizations. Three or four, in the event of a sudden emergency, could be utilized at once for manning the smaller national cruisers; but this, of course, cannot be generally the case with most of them These must be depended upon primarily as a second line of defense in which there are two very important features. One is the placing of mines, the other the esta blishment of signal stations for coast defense.
 The department recommends that there be inserted in the provision for the maintenance of the naval militia the words submarine mining outfits" " to admit of training the militia for this purpose. Plans have been formulated with view to establishing coast signal stations for naval defense, and it is be- lieved that the life saving stations with the consent of the treasury de- partment-should be properly equipped for this purpose.