Evening star., 1898-10-14

officers will supervise still the work of the
engine and fire rooms, or on shore all mat
ters of construction and repair. For a
year or two even the duties of the younger
men will be but little altered. Then by de-
grees The young line officers of the present
system will be required to stand watch In
the engine room. and the young engineer
officers of today will familiariZe them
selves with the duties of the battery and
the deck. Meanwhile the naval school,
with a curriculum much extended in en-
gineering, will be graduating officers train
ed for all duties above and be!ow-fishting
engineers in fact. if not in nama. The re-
suits which are confidently hoped for are
harmony in the settlement of long-stantiing
strife complete disciOline, as now. through
out the ship. but without friction, and
greater elasticity of organization, in the
possession of a homogeneous body of Off
GERS fitted for assignment to command, TO
the guns or in the engine room.
Long ago it was said that History is
philosophy learned from example, and IT,
In considering the proposed legislation we
turn to the records of the past, there would
seem to be ample warrant, in historical
analogy, for the personnel bill. The leading
purpose of the measure Is the absorption of
the Engineer Corps by the line, executive
or so-called combatant branch, and such
absorption would seem to be but in accord
ance with the policy of this ccmbatant per-
sonnel throughout its career of centuries on
the sea. The line officer was originally, as
he Is now primarily, fighting mana SOL
we'll a sailor. a navigator and an artillerist,
having added these professions to his sim
pie and primary military functions.
II have been led to this statement of our
proposed reorganization not only by the
views set forth in the article The New
Navy but, as well, by the thought express
ed by the editor of one of the foremost
British technical journals, who says: There
navy and that of the United States that
anything which is of Importance to the one
must necessarily be of interest to the other
OF Interest to Both Nations.
This is as it should be, not only in mat
ters affecting naval men, but in view of
the ties which will ever bind the English
speaking peoples. That the warlike spirit
of the race On both sides OF the sea has
lost nothing in the lapse Of time its latest
fighting fully proves The rush on the Dar-
gai Ridge-when the Gordon Highlanders
rising from cover. as they did at Quatre
Bras, dashed across the open zone of fire
recalls the most gallant deeds of the thin
red line and in the storming of Ell Caney
American troops showed themselves fit fol-
lowers of those who fought at Buena Vista
and Gettysburg. On the sea, as well. in
the war which is just ended. the achieve
ments of our line and staff are worthy Of
the best traditions Of the American and
British navies. In the preparedness of our
machinery, it's instant readiness to answer
every call, In the Oregon's race of 1900
miles against time, in the chase at Santia-
go. where battle ships ran down armored
cruisers, our engineer officers have won
deserved honor. And the officers of the
American line. in their, vigilance daring
and superb -gunnery. have met the full
success which years of tireiess training
have presaged. -:
The attitude of leading British Journals
throughout this war. and the warm SYM
pathy~of the mGsses' Of the British people,
but confirm the words Of an English his