The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-28
NAVAL RESERVES WAITING.
They DO Not Want Their Organiza-
ton Disbanded Though


ton Disbanded Though.
Since the call by the President for 125OOo
volunteers to serve i'm the war with Spain.
there has been an eagerness on the part
of members of the Savannah naval mi
ltia to know what disposition the Pres-
dent viii make of them. Some time be-
fore the call for volunteers st was believed
the first call would be for the naval re-
serves. and the failure OF this has caused
some wonderment
There is an impression generally shared
here that the reserves will have to enlist
in the service of the Federal government,
as is the case with the volunteers of the
land forces. This, of course, means a dis
baudment of the militia as ii now exists,
and also means the displacement of al
present officers.
The following from C. L. Crownins HELD,
chief of navigation bureau, to reserves of
Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, is an in
dication of the governments policy;
THE department has directed that before
entering into service aboard naval vessels
all enlisted men of the naval militia shall
be discharged from their enlstmens in
that body and be re-ehlisted for service
in the navy by q naval recruiting officer,
for period of one year. unless sooner dis
charged All officers of the naval militia
will, before being called into service, re-
ceive acting appointments as officers of
the navy in the grades In which thay are
TO serve. On board the monitors when
have already been commissioned these pro-
visions will be put into effect Immediately
while enlistments will be made for gen.
eral service, ii is to be understood mat
members of the same naval militia orgaai-
zatiops will always, If practicable, be 0e-
tailed for service in body, and that their
organization will not be broken up, Hnless
the eXigencies of the service imperahvely
demand il. 1t is requested that this in
formation be made known Immediately to
the officers and men of the naval militia,
| and that steps be taken looking to the
| discharge of the men prior to their enlist
ing into the naval service"
Shortly after the communication was
| read to the men aboard the monitor Mon
tauk they repaired to the engine-room and
4 after thoroughly discussing all features
of the letter, drafted resolutions expressing
surprise at the communication, and declar-
| ing that they We're ready to do their duty
but believed that they could do better ser
vice than If their organization was dis
| banded.
Present indications point to a dissatis-
| faction among the naval reserves equal TO
If not greater than that in the state mill
tia and which was only settled when spe-
cial legislation was enacted on the subject
| by Congress. This removed all objections
and 1t now appears that something of the
! kind will be necessary in the case of the
naval reserves.
Both divisions of the Savannah militia
are keeping up drill in all departments. 1t
Is safe to say that by the attention the
| commanding officers of the divisions are
giving their work and the interest the men
are taking, few better drilled men for the
navy will be available. There has been
quite a disadvantage to the local divisions
by reason of the fact they have not had
the benefit of vessel. The opportunity to
obtain much valuable information in a
! practical way has therefore been lost Be-
sides being well drilled the divisions are
fairly well recruited and can be run up 40
the maximum enlistment within few
hours after a call is made for their SER
/ vices. at.s t0~s