The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-10-03
BRITISH TRANSPORT SYSTEM.
Navy Department Recommended It for
 Use of This Country.


 Washington, Oct. 2,-Now that a question has arisen as to the best meth cd of providing an efficient system of transportation by sea for the army, it may be of interest to note what the view of the navy department has been all along in this matter. The attention of the department was called by Ad- miral Sampson at an early stage to the defects of the transport system as re- vealed in the departure from Tampa of the Shafter expedition and the delays in the landing at Daiquiri, Cuba. The action of the navy department at the time is shown by the following memo- randum prepared by Captain Dickens, who was at the time acting as chief of the navigation bureau in the temporary absence of Captain Crowninshield:
 Sir-The following cablegram was re- ceived to-day from Rear Admiral Samp- son, commanding the North Atlantic squadron: Tn view of close relations of army and navy which must exist in such operations as the present, and to avoid friction, specific regulations re- garding the combined relations of the two forces are necessary. l would rec ommend the adoption at once of the English regulations on this subject in- cluding transport service which exists in full detail. Their experience has been far larger than that of any other ai, lions fnr bined action are not in the departments, I would suggest asking for them at once through our naval attache." In looking up information covering the subject of the above cablegram I am not able to find in the office of the naval intelligence and publication re- lating to the regulations covering the combined action of the two services. In consequence of this I would suggest that cablegram be at once sent to our naval attache at London to forward these regulations to the department, it possible to do so. From the 'queen's regulations and admiralty instructions for the government of her majesty's navar service, 1S93," it is evident that l the transport service is in charge of the | naval branch of their government. On page 459 under chapter 30, article 1253, | it states as follows: "Whenever any of | her majesty's land forces shall be em- | parked as passengers in any of her ma jesty's ships, the officers and soldiers, | from the time of embarkation, shall 1 strictly observe the laws and regula- tions established for the government and discipline of her majesty's navy, and for these purposes shall be under | the command of the commanding otti- cer of the ship as well as of the senior naval officer present, and all military l officers and other persons under the equivalent rank of captains R. N. talk ing passage, and all military officers l in actual command, for the time being, | of troops embark, through whom or ders to the troops (given by the officer | of the watch) are required to pass, shall be under the command of the off, cer of the watch
 This shows conclusively, I think, that the transport service is entirely in the l hands of the naval establishment. This article is followed by several others, giving detailed instructions. In ad- vance of receiving the regulations cov- ering the combined action of the two forces it might be a good plan after due consultation and arrangement with the war department to make beginning by following the English regulations so 1 far as they apply to the transport ser vice as they could in all probability be made easily adaptable to our service, and also for the reason, as Admiral Sampson states, that the English ex- perience has been far larger than that I of any other power Their regulations l covering these matters are of course | the result of experience and of many active operations, covering long peril cd of years, and for that reason alone would think, be safe to follow and which of course could be modified from i time to time when applied to our ser vice as experience might dictate.
 Very respectfully,
 F. w. Dickens, | Assistant Chief of Bureau.