The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-27

government plant but the belief among naval
oi1gcrs is ma he ls opposed TO the PROJECT.
WIN an increase In the number Of ships there
officers, Secretary Long reviews tho various
propositions TO secure sufficient officers. but
carry the Most weight e on account Snst Of ssii NJ indo @ &c
ment by the Superintendent of the Naval
is,id q y and the Chief OF The Bureau OF Noyi.
the end q the four years course, thus, doing
a,Sw WI with the two years cruise which follows
the wisdom Of commissioning as nm officer q
cadet who has never demonstrated his adnpta.
on board a man.of.war Is questionable. lie
recommcnds legislation providing that the age
tween is and Is years; that at tho end OF the
ionr years. course tho cadet shall pass his OK.
4 TO t6o Academy for ihSi Sctxa"mlhattion in the
SECURE an immediate increase OF thlrty.sevcn
officers THE cadets who hayo been at sea for one
viii then complete their years cruise.
be given u tho fPs fssia6nt TO appoint anSf ft en SSdaI.
tional cadets to the Academy each year In order
X si inaT fqr anS td gr Q r...r for Il th 0e, Ig.nT .S needs sosi Hi
end aSIliisry cruisers. Hereafter: adds thS
have becn graduated to meet the necessary in.
crease, the surplus graduates should be dis
tiihlSNu anu ttilONtu W btek Ollt tulllOl hOlitt
but kept on tho rolls. subject to the call OF tho
President, for a number OF years.
the naval service. but to ali Americans, are
treated In the report. The Secretary congratu-
late, rSstbsns, i 6in county ~ Try on the or res shns obtained a a. IN nr the
ont effective fighting force consists Of four bat
tleships of tho first class, two bat!leships, OF the
cruisers, fftecn sunbosts, six double.tnrreted
monitors, one ram, one dynamite g%unboat. ono
dispatch boat, one, transport steamer. aud hve
torpedo DOntS. There are unQor construction
five battleships OF he first class, .lTteen torpe-
do boats and one submarine boat. There are sin
ty-four other naval vessels, including those nscI
ns training, receiving, and naval reserve ships,
s1 n:sr SIsssSd sinElS,tuTTF re sas moq mast S and 1 sCiss
the auxiliary fleet, consisting OF twenty subsi.
died steamers and q much greater. number of
large merchant marine steamers which can be
used In time Of need. Since the last annual re;
port two s]ea-going eattleships. one armored
boats, and two torpedo boats have been added
to the naval force.
is Justified in asking a large appropriation Tor
NE care and maintenance Of ships. H exprcsses
his sdsa Intention ! to I nd.s;b,t the in ar N9rt ma At,n na,i,
yres, from the results of which data can be OBJ
tanned as to the most effective method Of using
the feet In time of war. He believes that cleo
tricity ~ n turret-turning power is more salts
factory than steam or hydraulics, and has d.
hydraulic power in the battleships Illinois and
| Alabama.
In referring to the celebration of tho Tooth
{" old Ironsides'l the Secretary suggests that,
in view nf the affection with which the people
regard the old vessel, q sufficient appropriation
be made to fiji her for use ns n training ship, thus
preventing her from passing of the list OF tho
Attention is called to the estimates for i'm.
provemcnts submitted by the commandments of
600. Weiicquipped repair shops are essential
to keep the cost OF repairs at q reasonable sum,
cannot be expected, the Secretary holds that
these eco,nmendaLio are evidence that the
actual needs are very large. .
manufacture will be sufficient only to arm
twenty-one vessels, with six guns each. The
steadily as, in. no other way With so little ex:
pense can the United States add to their naval
ton FOR SS3Sx 1 PyV cruisers. SOImH He submits II est.
mates for an additional appropriation for TINS
regerye supply Of powder {, and authority is
asked to ,purshasc land contiguous to the
N1x t OF of New York !TEs t on whieh t ,'oS erect re- tn I"
chief of the NAVIGATION Bureau for the con.
e%truction OF q light.draught g~unboat to patrol
OF law is approved. Approvafis also given, to a
recommendation of the superintendent OF the
sion to the Academy be fixed at IS years. At
present 1t is 20. years. The Secretary wants
Congress to abolish the office of Professor of
Mathematics In the navy without disturbing
those now holding it.
A number OF neutrality-suspicious. maze py th as
them are that authority be given the Secretary
OF the Navy to remove the charge OF assertion
in certain cases. and that a law be enacted to
compel the attendance of civilian witnesses be-
fore naval courts-martial.
The chief of the Bureau Of Supplies and Ac-
counts wants n new naval clothing factory ut
the Brooklyn Navy Yard and an oil storage
house there. In both these recommendations
Secretary Long c%oncurs..
Attention is called to the inability of the Navy
Department to properly train all the naval
militia ORGANIZATIONS, on account of the small
sum appropriated annually for that purpose.
Three or four organizations are sufficiently ia
miliar with naval work to be utilized in u sud-
den emergency in manning the smaller cruisers.
Secretary Long recommends that Congress give
authority to train. the organizations in SUBJ
marine mining work.
The estimates submitted with the report for
the fiscal year ending June 80. 1899, aggregate
800, $4,000, against S34, .234 appropriated
for continuing the increase Of the navy. is
SIS, 44O,273 against S13, 933. 1888 appropriated
for 1903. For tho Bureau OF Ordnance. 1910
55l is asked. The appropriation for that
bureau for the current year was s l,2ss,s2L.
the use Of the Bureau OF Construction and
Repair was 81, 759.972. Secretary Long wants
SO. 1877, 0O7 for that bureau next year. The most
Increase OF the Navy.h' This year the Ordnance
Bureau has 81 ,22o. 796 to It's credit, against
s .254, 500 asked for next year. For c%onstruc.
ton OF machinery $6.425. 359 was appropriated
for the fiscal year 1898, against $3.97o.473
asked for 1899.
npDcnrrrr nE rur u1Tv