The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-05

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Among the military resources In Seat
tie which could be counted upon In case
Of actual hostilities Is the naval reserve.
now organizing under the auspices Of the
Naval Reserve Association. This asso-
citation has been q, work for the last six
or seven years, but its ,abors have hardly
been appreciated or noticed by the gen.
erai public until the present crisis. when
the nation began to cast about for an esti-
mate Of its lighting force available for
immediate service.
The Naval Reserve Association was or
ganized In Seattle in 1891, It's purpose
was to establish naval reserve in the
state Of Washington and to promote and
secure suitable legislation for the crea-
ton and maintenance OF such resnrve.
Through the years that have interviewed
since that time II has worked along quiet
ly but steadily. and at each successive
session OF the legislature bit creating .
naval reserve has been introduced, but
the senatorial contests occurring at each
OF thAse various sessions have drowned
out this, along with other and even more
important legislation.
More recently. since the probability Of
the immediate need OF forces from the
naval reserve has arisen. the association
has taken the initiative In organizing what
has been called volunteer naval reserve.
Commodore W. II. 0orham expects 70 80
before Gov. Rogers this week with . full
statement OF the purposes OF the organixa-
ton. the reasons why the reserve has
been established In order to accomplish
these purposes, together with the reasons
requiring the cooperation Of the state.
asking the governor TO clothe the assoc
citation with a seni-oHIciai character. so
that In case OF need the volunteer reserve
may 0ffer its services to the national soy-
er6mSht.
"Our plans are" said Mr.. Gorham yes
terday. TO raise four divisions CT sixty
men each the whole to constitute bat
TALON. While the national government
would. OF course. have tho right to use ana
distribute us as It saw At. the probable
tiles are that in case Of actual hossilities
We weuid be used. II at all. In the defense
OF Puget sound. I expect to go before
Gov. Rogers some time this week. prob
ably about Wednesday or Thursday, and
state to him fully our plans and purposes.
l shall carry with me the Official indorse-
ment OF the members OF the legislature
from King county. of President Z. o.
Graves. OF the Chsmber Of Commerce. and
other representative and influential citi-
1eat .,,,., hear n mind ]. continued Mr..
Gorham. that cur organization is an IN
dependent military organization, and In
the absence of state statute providing
for a naval reserve there IL nothing for
las to do but 10 volunteer our services 70
the general government as volunteer
naval reserve. precisely In the same man.
ner as that In which the services OF a VOL
dnteer regiment OF infantry would be
tendered."
Gould the members Of the reserve, IN
case they desired 70 do -. enlist directly
in the navy. Mr.. Gorhamr' asked the re-
porter rs there any of1cef or bureau
or agency in Seattle through which such
enlistment could be made?'
There is not" repiisd Mr.. 0orham.
Actual enlistment could b. ccomplish-
ed only in case q United StAts0 vN9.
were in the hsrber The general rcerzfr
ing station for the navy on the Pacific
coast IL at San Francisco. and there h no
naval recruiting of1cer on Puget Soun1.
In the event that the Monterey o. any
other war vessel shouio % ordered To-
Puget sound. you must not ia1aGtnes that
cur battalion. even IL accepted. would b
put in charge Of her. The battalion would
probably be ordered aboard. with enough
ySKusar Objects anu HfaeyaS&Se W tuhn
the vessel properly. The proportion Of
new men to the old In such . case would
he about the same as that allowed In the
formation OF additional ys-5msnfs In the
army: that IL to say. about cne-third
regulars and two-thirda snausseen. :
81, might - wslI~ ADDS gr. Gotham,
'Tn case you speak OF the naval rexerve
and its plans 10 assure everybody that
no selection whatever Of officers for the
battalion has been made. ana that none
will BE- made until the divisions are al.
complete. As fast a. eArn division ix
formed Il viii choose Its own officers. A
convention OF these division officers viii
then be called and they viii elect The Of
he@rs for the battalion The necessity OF
se.ecting the best and most competent
men for these positions without regard TO
personsi favcrisisn. VII! at once present
itself TO anybody who thinks about the
matter at all No schemes or personal
plans for high place have been INDUCED
tn. and indeed none would be tolerated by
the members OF the association"
The charter members Of the assocsati Ion.
which was organized II. 1851. were - fol-
lows. J. A. Hatfield. VII n. Parry.
George j. Sioneman Herman Chaplin. n.
A. Sfrous. George y. ki,singer and W. II.
G9rham
TIE pses~n: hoard of go~ernorr OF The
ASSOCIATION consists CT th- following men,