The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-08-11
Fair Play Asked
For Brave Seamen
Mariner" in Times-Herald.

III surprise to the exceptional citizen
III who knows enough about 1t to be
III aware how discouragng and unin-
intelligent has been it's treatment
by congress. Fifteen years ago its ships
were few and antiquated, incapable of
coping with any one of several of the
minor powers of South America and
Europe, and little except disbandment
had been left undone to render the or
ganzation and personnel inefficient.
There was little left but the traditions of
its glorious past and hope Its great and
essential service during the rebellion has
not been recognized to this day, except
abroad. 1t was and is underpaid, and its
officers grow old in the Junior grades. For
years this great country was destitute of
defense, either on the sea or coast. and
today we have scarcely more than the
nucleus of the navy needed to insure the
safety of our extensive coasts. bearing in
mind, too. that the most economical de-
Tense, as well as the speediest and most
effective, is the power to assume the Of
fensive.
That the few fighting ships we have are
the most efficient of their type afloat is
as much the credit of our neglected naval
service as the skill with which that ser
vice has handled them. A modern battle
ship is the NEST complicated aggregation
| of advanced scientific principles and dis
coVeries that the minds of men have de-
vised The officers upon whom the ships
management and safety depend have
proved themselves we'll worthy of the
| trust. No serious disaster has happened
to any one of the many ships of various
| classes since the war began. a fact that
has caused as much surprise abroad as
| the skill with which the ships have been
| fought; yet this deserving and efficient
| service has appealed for years in vain to
| fnr IN
for rank. with that of the army and ma
! rine corps. Men grow cid and bring up
| families while still in junior grades, from
| which officers of the British navy are
promoted before they are go For the
| victory at Manila that thrilled the hearts
| of his countrymen and surprised Europe
| into respect for our arms, a grateful gov
| ernment advanced Commodore Dewey
| just two numbers on the navy list, thus
| furnishing two of his friends, each of
| whom was pushed back one number, and
| the appreciative congress, after indulging
| itself in much hysteriCal gush-thanked
| him. The two Plumbers briug to the high
| est rank of the service and the highest
| pay-$6,00 a year while at sea and 5000
| while on the shore duty. Such is the con-
| ception of an ample reward by our repre-
| sentatives for a deed that glorifed our
| arms and placed at our disposal a large
| and important group of the richest is
| binds in the world and a population Of
| 5000, 900 human beings. 1t is a fit dnu
| striking example of the trea tment of the
ravy by congress, and is to the credit Of
| the former body that rewards have never
| been essential to its performance of duty.
| But the efficiency of the service demands
| that it should be treated with justice,
| that its pay should equal that of the
| other branches of the military service,
| and that it should be freed from the dry
| nrOmOtiOn
these the nation should demand action or
| an accounting by congress.
After neg'ecting the navy for years and
| repeatedly refusing to adopt measures to
| remedy obvious wrongs and injustice the
ltommittees of our last congress finally
| agreed upon a measure commonly 2u!led
| the Roosevelt personnel bill. formulated
by the assistant secretary of the navy
and a board of navy officers representing
the different corps affected, and sent to
| congress with the approval of the presi-
dent and secretary of the navy, and prac-
tically of the Ell tire navy. Briefly 1t was
| to equalize the pay of the navy officers
| with that of the army and marine corps
| to partially remedy the discouraging and
harmful stagnation in promotion, and in
| crease the welfare and efficiency of the
enlisted men. But in the face of its
promises and the urgent need of the re-
| forms, ana IN spite OF tle spleHulu S'l-
vices by which such long-delayed justice
had been earned, congress deliberately
refused to bring it up and adjourned
without acting upon the bill.
| o.
Will the people of this country patiently
endure such treatment of the navy and
such impairment of the highest efficiercy
of this important branch of the nation 5
defense? Has not this war awakened ua
at least temporarily from the dull and
apathetic stupidity with which we regard
matters appertaining to the country's 8
safety and the country's honor? Or, ii
not. as practical people. shall We not IN
sst that if our navy is to continue 30
exist it must he maintained in a
state of efficieI cy? OF good ships and
good men. the good men are the more es-
sential and English critics profess to be-
lieve that had our men been on board
Ccrvera's ships and the Spaniards on
board our vessels the victory of Santiago
still would have been ours. Shall not
congress pay attention to the personnel
bill, drawn in accordance with the profess
| sional opinion of these very men who
have the intcrt st of the service most at
heart. and who are competent to judge of
its needs? Or, as the number of our ships
increase shall we neglect the personnel
| until another war teaches us the lesson
Spain has learned in this-that good ships
count for little unless manned by skillfrl,
I all mi in1 ana