The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-11
FOR THE AUXILIARY FLEET
an IMPORTANT CONFERENCE AT
THE NATY DEPARTM ENE.

-
About zoo vessels Available In Case or an
EmerEcncy-The Subsidy Act Requires
the Government to Purchase the Vessels
Defsro InapressinE Theps Iuto the service.
WARRINGTON. March 1o.-An important con.
ference was held In tho office OF Assistant Sccro.
tary Roosevelt, In the Navy Department, this
afternoon. In regard to tho formation Of q feet
of auxiliary cruisers. composed OF merchant
ships with good speed qualities.
There wore present Mr.. Roosevelt. Chief Con-
structor Hichborn. Capt. o'Neill. Chief OF Ord
nance; Commander Bradford. Chief Of the
Equipment Bureau, and Naval Constructor
Taylor. Plans for installing rapld-fre rifles on
subsidized mail steamers and In giving them
protective qualities have already been prepared
by tho Construction Bureau. but q number Of
other craft available have not been 30 provided
for. Tho officers present discussed the number
and size OF oil vessels available for au1il.
larry purposes. and examined lists prepared
by officers detailed to inspect merchant
ships. which showed that about 200 would DO
available for use In an emergency. 1t was
agreed that 1t would take q month to properly
prepare tho best of these ships for war pur-
poses, but the Chief Constructor gave It as his
opinion that he would be able to get 1t into some
sort OF condition on o weeks notice. No deci-
sion was reached az to how the auxiliary YES
sells could BIO best utilized II war came. That
will be left for determination at another
meeting.
In examining tho subsidy act to ascertain
what will be necessary to impress merchant
vessels into tho service Of the Government
the naval authorities have discovered. TO
their embarrassment. that the act expressly
provides that the Government shall be OBJ
liged to purchase all vessels 30 impressed.
This feature was forgotten by tho Navy De-
partment in making its plans for organizing
auxiliary squadrops. 1t was taken for granted
that the reserve cruisers could DO used by the
Government In war In compensation for tho
subsidies granted to the owners. but tho dis
oovery OF the clause in the law prohibiting
impressment without tho actual purchase
Of the vessels has for the moment dis
concerted tho Government In arranging
its scheme of auxiliary operations. Secretary
Long consulted the President on tho subject to-
day. but no decision as to the course Of the Gov
eminent has been reached. The Navy Depart
ment would like to begin fitting vessels OF the
American line for hostile purposes at once, but
does not see It's way clear to expanding an enor-
nous amount In their purchase unless war Is
actually assured.
Clement c.. Griscom. President of the Interna-
tlonal Navigation Company, tho owners Of the
ct. Paul. st. Louis. New York and Paris,
stopped over in Washington to-day, on his way
from Florida to New York. to assure Secretary
Long that all the vessels Of his line were at tho
disposal Of the Government. Mr.. Griscom was
also anxious to know what would be the proba-
bio action OF the Federal authorities
in regard to forming an auxiliary
feet. r. A. @. Smith of the New
York and Cuba mail line was also here
for fha aap,a purpoaa Roth r0pcerpa hava ,
number of vessels which have been surveyed
and reported to have qualities rendering them
effective as cruisers In war times. Tho Cuban
line has four ships suited for duty with the
auxiliary fleet. while the American line has
four hrst-class ships and several of less
speed and stcaming radius. Contracts have
been made by tho Post Office Department and
Mr.. Smith. by which two additional ships, meet.
ing tho official requirements for carrying the
mail, are to be built at once. Mr.. Griscom also
called on President Mckinley. in company with
Senator Hanna.
In anticipation Of tho necessity of impressfng
merchant ships for auxiliary purposes. the Navy
Department 10 preparing a list of officers avail.
able for service on them. Commander w. II. En-
DRY has been selected to m the st. Louis.
and Capt. Roblcy d. Evans will probably COM
mand the st. Paul. Lieut.. Nathan Sergeant will
be the executive officer and Lieut.. F. f.. Fletcher
the navigator of the st. Louis. Before leaving
Washington on his mission to purchase ships and
war materials in Europe, Commander Willard
II. Brownson secured q promise from Secretary
Long that q command would DO given him IL
war occurred. ind it was understood that his
preference In favor Of the steamship New York
would be gratiAed. Secretary Long said this
afternoon that there WAS no truth In the pub
lished story that ommAnd Brownson would
assume charge Of the st. Paul. on, which he
sailed from New York on Wednesday. in Eng
lish waters II hostilitios began while he was
abroad. The command Of the Paris will prob
ably go to Capt. Frederick Rogers.