The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-11-24

Captain Crownlnshield Of the Navigation
Department Makes Some Suggestions.
IMPORTANCE or A SEA POWER APPARENT.
The rransportation OF Troops should
He Under control Of the NNvy--in-
crcnsc OF Force Necessary.

Washington, November sS,--f'ar out q.
tho lines Of the ordinary annual report OF
The bureau OF navigation is that OF Cap
tain CrownnShlgli chief OF the bureau d
navigation, navy department, wnich has
Jtsat eet1d made puuiic. Not only was tue
head OF this bureau member OF the wal
or strategy board, as 1t caats 10 be known,
but he WAS responsible Tor The oNecui4oi
OF the plans formed by that beard and fcg
the movement. OF every snip und aS.lsa-
ment of every officer, Consequently 40
bureau ottissv hal equal oppormni,g Ia
know the moving purposes aud exact tnoors
OF naval operations, The report is ireo
frcm personalities, there Is no tcterenco
| made TO the noS happily ended sampsoa-
Schley CONTROVERSY; no criticism OF ANY
officer nor any commentator that iniSnt
be regarded invidious ANA discriminating.
But the report is contlncd 10 the state-
ment of haru taets. wlth few reeohiinen-
dauons for the betGerment OF the service.
Captain CroNnins.seld says
Inc completeness oil our naval victory
during the war and the almost absolute i'm.
muuaty from INJURY when our ships and
crews enjoyed, naturally led 10 general
conclusion tnat our gunnery had muon to do
Win the matter,
Captain Crowninshield declares that the
experience oil the war has beea another
demonstration OF the importance TO the
Nauon oi q sea power. he says that from
the first the only Apprehension telt IN this
country WAS on account OF the Spanish
navy. ii WAS Cerveras ships thae Were
feared We did not Tear the spanish army
would NOT have feared Il X IL had been
three tunes as powerful unless 1t had been
supported by a navy powerful enough 10
have formed az efficient convoy and
broughg IL 10 this coast.
Touching on the combined operations OF
the army and navy, the report says t4a-
happily all points OF difference waien arose
between the commanders duNng Inc cam
paiga We're satisfactorily solved by vac
terry. one glaring defect oil the system o.
joint operations was found, however. "a
the matter OF Transporting aud conveying
troops, aad II is recommended that 10 Sc
cure smoother handling OF such cam
pagn the navy be by law charged with the
transport service.
The navigation bureau recommends that
congress authorize the increase or me
nayai force to 90. 900 men for general serv-
Ice and 2b00 apprentices and an argument
is made 10 show the absolute necessity OF
some such increase unless the reserves on
the receiving ships are TO be reduced below
the danger point, an evil that was very
close approached during the last war,
The bureau recommends the pas sage OF
the Cummings bill Which provides in sub
stance Iog preparations for the naval mill
tia on an entirely different basis. lhis
would provide for tho creation OF Ma
tional military reserve entirely under the
control OF the department, recruited from
The sesfariLg Glasses, who would be com
Ie.led 10 serve in war times under penalty
OF desertion, The men would be required
tn, "a
they would receive one months pay.
Another accommodation is that the sys-
TENS OF rewards by promotion be aholshsi
ard that medals of honor be substituted 50
that officers may be rewarded without
detr!ment 10 others.