The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-24

Of the army and navy, the report which
arose between the commanders during the
campaign were satisfactorily solved by
victory. One glazing defec tot the sys-
tenn of joint operations was found, how
ever, in the matter of transporting and
| conveying troops, and it is recommended
that to secure smoother handling of such
a campaign the navy be by law charged
with the transport service.
NAVAL INCREASE URGED.
The navigation bureau recommends that
congress authorize the increase OF the
naval force to 10000 men for general SER
vice and 1000 apprentices. and an argu-
ment is made 10 show absolute necessity
of some such increase, unless the reserves
on the receiving ships are to be reduced
below the dangr point; an evil that was
very closely approached during the last
war.
To carry out this recommendation, the
report recommends the passage of house
bin No. 0.431, which also carries with it
an Increase of 90 in the number Of line
and engineer officers and of 100 warrant
machinists, all very much needed.
The report does not enlarge upon the
necessities of the service in regard to per-
sonnet, Captain Crowninshield believing
that the department and congress are
both so well acquainted with the require
ments of this detail of naval organiza-
ton, that the statements Of the bureaus
needs will be sufficient to secure action
by congress.
VOLUNTEERS AND MILITIA
OF the volunteer officer 1t is said that
~
war, but that they can never be the equal
in professional attainments Of their
brothers of the regular establishment, for
lack of the exhaustive training impaired
to the latter.
A tribute is paid to the good work Of
the naval militia, in manning che coast
defense stations and the vessels OF lie
auxiliary naval force. and furnishing ma
terial for crews for the auxiliary vessels
serving with the regular feet. But for
crews aboard ship in active service they
furnished nothing more than material and
in the ordinary course most of them
would have been enlisted as landsmen and
nothing higher. All had to be thoroughly
drilled, and even the officers. with exoep-
tons, were found 10 be unqualified TO
act as instructors. Captain Crowninsh;eld
does not wish to be understood as dnde--
rating the zeal of these men, but simply
desires to point out fatal defects in the
system. He shows that difficulty was eX-
perienced in mastering the men in. the
department having no right to call upon
them and they having no responsibility
to the navy department, they were not
subject to orders.
TO REMEDY THE DEFECTS.
Therefore the bureau recommends the
passage of the Cummings bill. which pro-
vides, in substance, for appropriations for
the naval militia on an entirely different
basis. This would provide for the creation
of a naval national reserve entirely under
the control Of the department, recruiting
from the seafaring classes, who would be
compelled to serve in war times under
penalty of desertion. The men would be
required to report onceAs, year for drill,
for which they would receive one months
pay.
REWARD SYSTEMS FAULTS.
Another recommendation is that the
system Of promotion be- abolished and that
medals of honor be substituted. so that
officers may be rewarded without detri-
menr to others.
Finally, the suggestion OF the superin-
tendent of the coast signal service that
this should be made permanent ins-ftu-
ton is approved. as ii will afford a skel-
eton at small cost around which a highly
efficient service could be promptly built
I'D upOn the outbreak OF war