The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-09-26
NAVAL RESERVE.
1t Will Be Under the Control Of the
Navy Department.

Lieut Clifford VIII Establish the Branch
Here-He Arrived Home Saturday
Night-His Ideas in Regard to the
Matter.
Lieutenant William H. Clifford, Jr.,
who was recently detached from the U.
S. S. Rainbow and ordered to Portland
to establish headquarters OF the Auxiliary
Naval force of the first district, arrived
home Saturday. In July Mr.. Clifford,
who was then attached to the U. >. ..
Montauk, was ordered to Brooklyn navy
yard to join the Rainbow. 1t was the In
tention of the navy department. at that
time to fit this ship out with a complete
distilling plant and send her TO JOIN
Dewey's fleet at Manila. But the work OF
fitting up this ship proceeded but slowly.
She was formerly a big tramp steamer
and had to be entirely remodelled. At
Brooklyn navy yard MIR. Clifford's duties
were very arduous and with other ON GERS
he was kept busy experimenting the
work on this ship.
The peace negotiations ended the hopes
of the Rainbow being sent to Dewey's
feet Immediately and doubtless Mr.
Clifford was not sor ~ when he was de-
tached and ordered back to Portland.
His orders are to establish headquar-
tiers for the auxiliary naval force for this
district and this makes Mr.. CliHoro
assistant to the chief of the auxiliary
naval force. Just what is to be done here
Mr.. Clifford does not know but 1t IS
evidently the intention of the navy de-
partment to keep in touch with the men
who served in the auxiliary naval service
SO that they can be utilized in the future
with littlo waste of tire.
Secretary Long firmly believes IN
naval reserve but If what is said in naval
circles is correct he does not believe In
the present system. The naval reserve,
so the regular officers believe, should be
under national control and subject to the
orders of the national government.
1t should be auxiliary to the navy and
its men should be trained and equipped
at national expense for they perform
service not for any one state but for the
whole country. OF course 1t will not be
possible to take the naval reserves entire
" out of the control of the states where
they now exist but it is certain that Sec
rotary Long and others believe in this
force being more closely identified with
the regular navy than it now is.
Soldiers can be trained by the states
anywhere and great deal of the training
can be done in armories at homo. Sailors
can be trained only on board ship. 1t
requires months of training to teach men
how to live on a ship in tho first place
and until man knows how to take care
of himself on shipboard he is but little
use as seaman. Even men who have
sailed for years in the merchant service
cannot be made good blue jackets in
short space of time. They must have
some idea of life on a modern ibattleship
and know how to keep clean, for the
navy demands this above everything else.
Next t1e men must know how to feed
themselves and care for their mess gear.
Then they must know how the ship Is
constructed and become familiar with
it's routine and discipline. A green man
on a big battleship ia entirely lost. He
may be the best sailor in the world and
know all about steering and handling a
vessel, how to handle boats and know all
about the Thousand and one things which
a proficient seaman has to know. But
when such a man without experience is
placed on man-of-war he is in every
ones way and of no earthly use until he
knows where his station is, how to sleep,
how to eat and how to keep clean.
This knowledge must come to man
before everything else. When he learns
to live with comfort on q big ship then
he can be taught the art of fighting. To
learn to handle the big guns is but the
work of week or SO. Naval officers say
that green crew of men can be taught
gun drill with the modern equipment in
few weeks SO that they will equal to
veterans at the work. OF course the gun
merry and care of the guns and appliances
is another matter and for this service the
regular navy must always be.expected to
furnish the men.
But in time of war, as the last war has
shown, the United States must put into
the service vast number of auxiliary
ships. There must be supply ships,
distillery ships, hospital ships, coal
ships, patrol and dispatch boats and har-
Dor defense vessels. 10 man and officer
these ships the navy must when war
comes be largely increased. In the days
of the old navy, when dispatch boats,
golfers, patrol boats and similar craft
were not needed and when every ship that
floated with the American ensign at the
peak was essentially fighting craft so
many men were not needed and the mer-
chant marine could furnish all the men
that were required. In those days any
merchant skipper could uake a good
naval officer and every merchang sailor
could be taught in month to become a
first class man O warsman.
Now things have changed. Different
kinds of men are needed and the life of