Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1898-11-25
ALLEN ON THE NAVY
Recommends Change In the
Naval Reserve System.
FEDERAL CONTROL IS ADVISED.
Reserve should BE Composed of Sea-
farinE aIen-Purchnses of Naval
AuxfIinrics Defended-No shady
Deals with shipowners.

DCAAH WIN HhAHbN
WASHINGTON. Nov. 25.-A clear,
concise and businesslike statement OF
50 much of the operations of the navy
department during the war as relates
% the procurement and care Of ships
and generally TO the material is provld-
ed 80 the annual report of Assistant
Secretary Allen just made public
Among other duties the assistant secre-
tary was charged with the procurement
Of vessels for the auxiliary navy. lie|
says that this work was managed with
the utmost care not only as to the quail
ity of the ships but also 70 the price
paid. and he commends the intelligence
ana fidelity Of the boare headed by Cap
tain Rodgers which inspected the ves
sells purchased. Says Secretary Allen.
what ] wish to emphasize especially isl
the fact that no vessel was purchased
until after it had been thoroughly in
spected and had been pronounced thor
oughly satisfactory by officers whose
professional training made them cx-
perts." He declares that in making the
purchases of vessels the same care of
the governments interests on the hnan-
cial side was exercised as would be the
case with a private transaction. with an
effort In every case to make the best
bargain possible.
IN numerous instances the department
paid very much less than the price ask
ed for ships and in some cases less than
the price recommended by the inspec-
ton board.
In the beginning, Mr.. Alien says II
was possible that prices were higher
than could have been secured n sc had
been practicable to wait for competi-
| ton. But true economy and the best in
! terests OF the government made IL the
/ correct policy to pay higher price for
a vessel when her services were vitality
/ needed rather than suffer the govern
| ments interests to be jeopardizad by
waiting for a lower price. Not very
long after the purchasing began the
competition to supply ships be, anne
very active and the department was
then enabled to get vessels at very rea-
sonab.e prices. Mr.. Allen has declared
open to public inspection all the CORE
spondence relating to the purchase OF
these vessels and their price.
Mr.. Allen refers briefly to the charter
of the four fine vessels Of the American
line, which, he says, performed valua-
Bile service for both the army and thu
navy, and he says that in the settle
! Mtnl Win the company ne NeiieNNN Ati'
government saved considerable
amount Of money by paying the com
pany a lump sum as an equivalent fo
the expense of placing the ships In con
dition
The organization Of the auxiliar.
naval force, as well as the purchase O
ships was conducted by the cgsisto7
secretarys Office, and the report show
that on this account but S721629 wa
expended out of the. appropriation @
So. 100000
Mr.. Allen says that the naval miliu
system revealed the inherent weakness
Of its organic system under the sever
stress Of the war and demonstrated IN
fact that the country is absolutely !
need of a proper naval reserve whic
can be promptly modified under ia
call Of the president. Like Capital
C,rowninshield, he thinks that this ne
l serve should be composed of seafarin
men and that its status should b
that of a body directly under the con
troll of the federal government. Sue
a force should be maintained out of tn
federal appropriations, and there shout
be no divided authority About SOC
men in addition to those now Ia servic
would be required to completely ma
our navy when the ships under con
struction are completed, and even q
present provision should be made fc
one-half that number, or 4,CO0 mci
These 1900 reserve men could be or
rolled from the naval militiamc
who saw service In the Spanish wa
supplemented by enrolment from III
seafaring places. to whom the amour
of pay during service, the transports
ton to and from their practice station
and the uniforms furnished would D
sufficient inducement The cost TO u
government would be $4,000, and M
Allen submits the draft Of a bill to ca
ry out his views on this point.