The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-14
READY TO Fight.
Uncle Sam Is Calmly Confident.
But Keeps on Hustling
All the Same.

WASHINGTON, March A. 189S.-Condi-
tions appear to be quieter on the surface
at the Navy Department today. Probably
this was because Secretary Long, Captain
Crowninshield, Chief of the Navigation
Bureau Engineer-in-Chief Melville and
other leading bureau officers of the de-
partment wer cealled to the Capitol dur
ing the forenoon to inform the Appropria-
tions Committee of the needs of the naval
service in the matter of legislation. In
the various bureaus, hoover, there was
a hum of industry and the work pro-
gressed as incessantly and steadily as for
the past two weeks.
The recruiting branch of the Navy
Department is naturally one of the big
gest branches of the service just now. It
is in the temporary command of Captain
Hemphill during the absence in the South
of Captain Hawley and he was busy to-
day with reports of the railroads engaged
in arranging for terms for transportation
of recuits to the seaboard and of sailors
already in the service from one port to
another made necessary by the commits
sion of new ships.
A problem-that confronts the recruit
ing Office is to procure the necessary
force of enlisted men for manning The
two ships which have been purchased
from Brazil, the AmaZOQS ana the All
miral Breu. While it was not possible
in the seeretary's absence to confirm OIL
cially the reported purchase there is no
doubt that the proper officers OF the navi-
cation bureau are making all arrange
ments for the speediest possible delivery
of the two ships on this size of the At
lantic.
1t probably will require about 25O men
for each ship and the question is whether
these men shall be hired abroad in Eng
land, under special arrangements for the
one trip, or whether a regular crew snail
be sent out from the United States to
bring them home. The first method is
undoubtedly the quicker, but it will not
be available in case there should be an
open rupture before the completion of the
two ships.
The big armored cruiser Brooklyn ar
rived at Fortress Monroe this morning
direct from La Guayra, Venezuela. She
has made a fine run up, and it is expected
will await at Hampton Roads the arrival
of the Minneapolis and Columbia, which
are just fitting out at Philadelphia This
force will form an excellent nucleus for
the projected flying squadron in case
the department decides to form one
Secretary Long, Chief Engineer Melville,
Captain Crowninshied, Chief of the Con-
struction Bureau; Surgeon General Van
Reypen. Cautain O'Neil. Chief Of Ord
nance and Paymaster General Stewart
of the Navy were before the House Com
mittee on Naval Affairs today to explain
some estimates they made for the Naval
Appropriation bill Nothing was said
about battleships or dry docks. The main
point of Secretary Longs hearing was a
suggestion to raise the age limit of en-
trance to the service of the officers of the
medical corps from 21 to 80. This, how
eyre, has been already done by the COM
mittee. The raising of the limit will re-
suit in a material increase in the number
of officers in that branch of the service.
Chief Engineer Melville called for an
increase in the engineer corps of the
navy which he said was imperatively
needed. He asked that provision be
made for seventy-five more assistant en-
gineers. 1t was also pointed out that
the number of assistant paymasters was
deficient by about 20. An appropriation
closed the committee began the considera-
tion of the establishment of new dry docks
and entered into a long discussion as to
the relative merits of the respective
cities asking for the dry docks.
Representative Elliott of South Carolina
called at the Navy Department today to
talk with the officials respecting the
clothing of the naval militia. Under the
existing regulations the department has
no authority to expend any of the small
allotment of funds made by Congress for
the use of the naval militia, for the pur-
chase of boots, equipments, arms, books,
signal flags, etc.
For several years the militiamen have
been trying hard to secure modification
of the law that would permit of the ap
plication of at least a portion of the
militia appropriation for the purchase of
uniforms. This has been accomplished
ing naval bill of a suitable amendment.
However this new clause, under ordinary
conditions would not go into effect be-
fore July l next.