The times., 1897-08-08


seem very surprising to those who are
unacquainted with tine progress that has
been made by certain hattaIions of the
naval militia, but an so thoroughly con
yinced of it's truth that 1 shall recommend
that next year the experiment be made OF
giving n couple OF smr gunboats OF the
Bennington and Machias, or possibly, even
of the Detroit class, one to specially
selected battalion from the coast and
one to a specially seleeted battalion from
the lakes for their animal sea practice.
The captain and executive officer, and
navigator would be fept on board. 1t
might also be that tie engineers would
have TO lie kept abo~-~7 as it is apparently
only among the Sec I'd Illinois Battalion
on the Upper Mississippi that any special
effort has been made to develop ma
chinistS who could be Immediately used
On board warships.
But every other position could ne filled
well from certain.of the naval hattalions
which have been 4Jngest in existence,
and which, together with length OF serv-
ice, have 20 their credit the best use of
opportunities These ships would be sent,
say, from New York TO Hampton Roads and
back, stopping for target practice and the
sble TO learn exactly the capacities of
the navel militia. OF course only the very
best battalious could be considered IN CON
nection with it, for no battalion would tie
sent on such a cruise until long and faith
full training had fitted it to do the work
and until It's membership repeatedly shown
themselves, in the opinion of the naval Off
GERS who had been with them on their an
q
MANY of these naval battaiions are CON-
posed OF men who would not enlist in time
of peace but who, under the spur of war,
would serve in any position for the first
few most important months 1t is worth
nosing that Gu the annual cruise, W hen these
men temporarily take the place of son.e Of
the regular crew on the battleshps or
cruisers, they have hitherto always borne
themselves in such wey as to win the
hearty goodwill OF the remaining blue
jackets, and have shown 10th eagerness
and capacity TO learn what can only be
learned aboard ship
The Ohio naval brigade has just begun
its existence The men showed a most
praiseworthy spirit and purpose, and /
would particularly call attention TO the
wise generosity Of the State of Ohio in
unformiug them SO Well and so quickly.
The First Illinois Fattalion is fortuna te
| enough 70 have two Naval Academy grad
yates at its head, ana 1t shows in every
| way the excellent results OF their training.
! The Second Battalion deserves particular
1 credit, inasmuch as it has started on a
/ river ard is without the advantages af-
| forded by the ocean or the Great Lakes.
/ This Is the battalion which has paid such
| particular heed to the development of
machiniSts. If possible. when the tor.
/ pedo fiotilla is sent up the Mississippi, the
men of this battalion should be given drill
and instruction aboard the torpedo boats.
''In Michigan l was only able To see
the First and Third divisions, and from
| their commanders to the most recently
enlisted laudSman ! have nothing but
| praise for the workmanlike way in which
their duties were performed. The dis
cipIine is excellent. The commissioned
officers, aside from tie commander, no
is Naval Academy graduate, have all
worked their way up through the ranks;
ana the seamen, ordinary seanen and lands
men (who, as is proper, form I he bulk OF
of the battalion. for no laBdsman is made
an ordinary seaman or seaman until he
has passed the rigid examination requi
site to show hls fitpessl are, for the mos
part, business or professional men, who
largely pas their own expenses, who are
actuated simply by sincere spirit ol
patriotism, a nd who show by their efficienc,
the effect OF painstaking and faithful per-
formancc of duties which must often be
irksome. l consider these divisions fiji
now to be put in charge OF one OF our
nations cruisers.
~ word of hearty comrnendatiou must
be given - the Brooklyn or Second New
York Naval Battalion. This is new
organization, only mustered in early this
summer and their weeks cruise in open
boats wac made during time of very bad
weather so as TO turn it into very genu
inc hard work. So far from this dispirIt
ing them however, it evidently merely
added Zest TO their enjoyment, and at th'
conclusion of their cruise the alert Teadi
ness with which they went about all th'
WORK assigned them, showed the strides
they had taken in lea rning their profession
1.-The First Battalion, the old New Yorl
battalion, is next to the MasSachusett
militia, the oldest in the service. Like
the Brooklyn Battalion, it is under a
graduate Of the Naval Academy, and thu
captain in command Of the brigade is alsC
d graduate The New York Battalion ha
been in existence five years. 1t was The
pioneer In the reconnaissance work witt
boats along the Sound and coast, and ha
to its credit an amount OF hard work, o
which very few outsiders are cogn!Zant
The result is evident In the high STANDARD
of efficiency tt which it has attained;
standard which warrants my saying tina
in the event Of trouble IL could be put t
immediate use, not only for purposes @
coast defense, but in manning one of tn
above named cruisers.
I'm con clusion, 1 would ike to cal
, attention to the fact that in most o
the organization there is urgent nee,
for more liberal appropriations by tn
, State authorities. The good effect O
uch liberal policy is shown i'll bot
Massachusetts and New York. Unless Il
general Government is aided by the State
it makes it very difficult to bring tb
organizations up to the proper point Q
efficiency The depar tment has but $50
, 600 to spend, and there are already fiftee
, organizations among which this has
be divided = Very respectfully,
"THEODGRE ROOSEVELT" !"
, MR.. McNALLY,sf DAMAGE SUIT