The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-08-23
IMPRoMSfD CRUISERS
ARE NO LONGER NECESSARY FOR
COAST DEFENSE
The Auxiliary Naval Fleet Reduced
to Twenty-Five Ships and Will
Soon Disappear

NEW YORK, Aug. 2.-The united STATES
auxiliary naval force, which week ago
consisted of forty-one vessels in commits
sion, says the Washington correspondent
Of the Tribune, was reduced to twenty-five
vessels yesterday. and by the end OF next
week 1t will have disappeared altogether.
until another war shall call 1t into service.
During the period of hostilities with Spain
this line of naval defense has had no popu-
lar opportunity to demonstrate its emcien-
CIV. although the work OF naval officers
charged with keeping lookout for the en-
envy has gone too far to prove how indis-
1t would have been had the Allan
tic coast been menaced by attack.
As a result Of the experience gained by
the combination of the auxiliary force and
the coast line signal system, 1t will
be possible, II a foreign invasion Of this
country is hereafter contemplated, to pro-
vide speedily for the mobilization Of an
effective system of defense.
When Captain John r. Bartlett was put
in command Of the auxiliary naval forces
on July 9Th he proceeded theoretically to
get all its vessels promptly into commission
and to organize the force on the basis which
was intended by the trainers OF the joint
resolution which created It. The force was
distributed in nine districts, six on the At
lantic coast, two on the Gulf and one on
the Pacific, and the complete organization
was perfected in single month.
Under the original plan the assistants to
the chief in the vorious districts were to be
officers from the local naval militias who
had entered the United States service and
the vessels in each district were to be main
tanned by the men of the naval militia of
that district, who had been mustered into
the auxiliary naval forces The plan was
carried out fully.
The whole Pacific Coast Of the United
States comprises the Ninth district. which
is under the command Of Lieutenant Will
liam e. Gum. u. s. N. formerly command
ing the Second division Of the California
Naval Battalion, with headquarters at San
Francisco. Lieutenant Gums command
consists of the revenue cutters Corwin.
Grant, Perryand Rush and the tugs Active.
Iroquois and Vigilant. The yachts Sylvia
and Viking, the tugs Apache and Potomac
and the ferryboats Boston and Governor
Russell were also part of the auxiliary
fleet, but were detached and turned over to
the navy recently for service in Southern
waters All these have been differed and
manned from the naval militia of the vari-
Gus States, with the exception Of those that
have been detached. which are commanded
by officers Of the regular navy.
The rapidity with which the force has
been reduced since the suspension of hos
Titles Is considered proof of its thorough
discipline and excellent management, and
shows how valuable the naval militia sys-
tenn has become in the few years OF Its
existence.
The twelve monitors which have served
in the auxiliary force have been ordered
out Of commission as speedily as possible
at League Island, where they will be I'M
media tely prepared for permanent DUTY as
In Cuban and Porto Rican har-
bors. Additional awnings will be stretch
ed over their upper decks with side avn
ings for protection in stormy weather and
the crews. consisting Of full war COM
pement Of ninety regular seamen and mar
ines, will sleep under these awnings IN
stead Of in the close, hot quarters below.
Several Of the vessels are already getting
ready for the new duty and will be on the
way south in the course of week.