The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-11-25
THE ANNUAL REPORT.
OF Assistant Secretary Allen, of the
Navy Department.

Washington, Nov PA clear, conc'sa.
and business-likc statement of so much
of the operations of the Navy Depart
ment during the war as related to, the
procurement and care of ships and gen
orally to the material, is provided in the
annual report of Assistant Secretary
Allen just made public Among other
duties the Assistant Secretary was
charged with the procurement of YES
sells for the auxiliary navy. He says
that this work was managed with the
utmost care. not only as to the quality
Of the ships, but also to the price paid
and he cOmmendS the intelligence and
fidelity of the board. headed by Captain
Rodgers, which inspected the vessels
purchased. In numerous instances the
department paid very much less than the
price asked for ships, and in some eases
less than the price recommended by the
inspection board.
Mr.. Allen has declared open to public
inspection all the correspondence relating
to the purchase of these vessels and
their price. In leaving this branch IF
his report he refers with pleasure tn
the generous patriotism of the friends Of
the Government in its time of need.
naming Mr.. +. August Schermerhorn
and Mr.. w. X. Hearst. who had Offered
to the Government their private yachts.
Free Lance and Bucanneer. respectively.
Mr.. Allen refers briefly to the charic-
ter of the four fine vessels of the Amer;
can line, which, he said, performed val
liable service for both the armv ana the
navy, and he said that in tho settlement
with the company ne fu.icycs tltc 'iJv-
ernment saved considerable amount of
money by paying the company Il lump
sum as an equivalent for the expense
Of placing the ships in condition.
The organization of the auxiliary ma
val force. as well as the purchase of its
ships, was conducted by the Assistant
Secretary'S office, and the report shows
that on this account but $720,639 was
expended out of the appropriation of
$3,000,000.
The Assistant Secretary speaks in
terms of highest praise of the Naval
War college, which he says. has render
eel valuable service in stimulating our
officers of high rank to professional ad-
vancement, and in the collection and ar
rangement of professional information
so as to render it of the highest value to
our officers He believes that the in
Stitutc should be encouraged and every
thing done TO render it still more eff
cient and useful. To this end he says
the most important step is the transfer
OF the college from its present location
at Newport to Annapolis, where it will
form post graduate course for the ma
val academy.
Mr.. Allen says that the naval militia
system revealed the inherent weakness
Of its organic system under the
severe stress of the demonstrated fact
that the country is absolutely in need
of proper naval reserve which can be
properly modified under the call of the
President. Like Captain Crowminshield
he thinks that this reserve should be
composed of seafaring men and whose
status should be that of body directly
under control of the Federal Govern
mcnt
About 5000 men in addition to those
now in service would be required to
completely man our navy when the ships
under construction are completed, and
even at present provision should be
made for one-half of that number
These 1000 reserve men could he en-
rolled from the naval militia men who
mented by enrolment from the seafaring
places, men to whom the amount of pay
during service, Transportation to and
furnished would he sufficient induce
ment The cost to the Government
would be S144.OOO. and Mr.. Allen sub
mits the draft of bill to carry out his
views on this point.
bn1
18th the Assistant Secretary made Il
visit of inspection to all the navy yards
on the Eastern coast from Norfolk, Va,
to Portsmouth, \. H., and his observa-
tion on. this occasion were made the
subject of Il special report to the Secre-
tary of the Navy Speaking generally
of his conclusions, Mr.. Allen suggests
that Il uniform system of auditing be
adopted for the yards i'll the interest of
both the department and the employees.
He also suggests Il consolidation of GER
tain shops doing similar work under diff
ferent departments.
The result of Mr.. Aliens inspection ofI
the Norfolk Navy yard was as follows:
There are no modern automatic appli-
ances for eXtinguishing fire in the build
ings of this yard.
The commandant strongly recommends
the alteration of the timber basin into
a deep basin for shipping. If this change
were made there would be an addition of
L 500 feet TO the water front of the yard |
Changes are recommended IN the shops
of the steam engineering and the con
struction departments TO enable the |
plants TO be enlarged to meet existing |
needs and to allow better arrangements |
Much of the woodwork of the wooden |
dry dock is thoroughly rotten and needs |
extensive repairs This dock is only nine |
years old and is an Illustration of the in |
of building wooden dry |
docks. The stone dry dock near by is |
over sixty years old and is in perfect con
dition. :