The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-29

this Branch of the Servfce-More Men
Needed I'm the Navy-The 1ncres lse Of
the Navy During the War-A, ,sussS1
Report Of the Director Of the Want
Gold Production-Report of Sec Teaary
Of1he Interior.
Washington, November PA dear
concise and business like stat ane3Tst of
SO muc of the operations Of the Navy
department during the war as relat-
ed to the procurement, care of the
ships and generally % the material is
provided in the annual report of As
sistant Secretary Allen, just made
public. Among other duties the as
sistant secretary WIS charged with the
procurement of vs sells for the -auxiI-
larry 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 ir telligence and fideli-
ty Of the board headed by Captain
Rogers which inspected the vessels
purchased. In numerous instances the
department paid over much less than
the price asked for ships and in some
cases less than was recommended Ey
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 of his report
he refers with pleasure to the gener-
GUS patriotism of the friends of the
i. t.
ing Mr.. f. August Schermerhorn and
w. r. Hearst, who had offered to the
government their private yachts free
Lance and BuCCaner. respectively.
Mr.. Allen refers briefly to the char
ter of the -four fine vessels of the
American line, which he says, perform
ed valuab service for both the army
and the navy and says that in the
settlement with the he be-
lieVeS the government saved a cOnSid-
cradle amount of money by. paying the
company a lump SUM as an equivalent
for the expense of placing the ships
in commission.
The organization of the auxiliary
naval foyre, as well as the purchase
of the ships, was conducted by the as
sistant secretary's office and the re-
port shows that IN this account, but
1920 ,639 was expended out of the ap-
preparation of So, 100000.
The assistant secretary speaks in
terms of highest praise of the naval
war college, which, he says, has rem
dered valuable service in stimulating
our officers of high rank in profession
al advancement and in the collection
and arrangement of professional in
ormatiOn so as to render it of the
highest alu to our officers. He be-
lieVeS that the institute should be en-
couraged and everything done to rem
do ~ cell y1orn Fffnin or ,,-nf,,I
To this end he says the most impor-
tant step is the transfer of the col
lege from it's present location at New
port to Annapolis, where it will form
a post graduate course for the ava
academy.
Mr.. Allen says that the naval militia
system revealed the inherent weakness
of it's organic system under the severe
stress of the demonstration of fact
that the country is absolutely in need
of a proper naval reserve which can
be promptly modified under the call
of the president. Like Captain Crown
inshie1d. he thinks that this reserve
should be composed Of seafaring men,
whose status should De that of a body
directly under control Of the federal
government.
About 5000 men in addition to those
now in service would be required to
completely man our navy when the
ships under construction are cOmplet-
ed, and, even at present, provision
should be made for half Of that mum
Der. These 1000 reserve men could be
enrolled from the naval militiamen
who saw service in the Spanish war,
supplemented by enrolment from the
~seafaring places to whom the amount
of pay during service, the transpOrta-
ton to and from their practice sta
lions and the uniforms furnished would
be a sufficient inducement. The cost
to the government would be $144 900,
and Mr.. Allen submits the drafts of a
bill to carry out his views on this
point.
REPORT OF MINT DIRECTOR
ROBERTS.
In his annual report Mr.. Geo. E.
Roberts, the director of the mint, says:
The most important events of the
fiscal year in the world of government
finance nave been the contamination
of the long planned resumption of Spe-
Gle ayment by Russia in gold, the
REORGANIZATION OF the monetary syS-
tenn of japan with gold as the stand
ard and the refusal of the government
of India to cooperate with the gov
ernments OF the United States and
France in an effort to establish bimeS-
atlism by international agreement.
The gold coinage of the world in
1897 was the largest recorded, amount
ing in value 20 $F37, 1882, against
S1y5. S99.517 in 1896. on the former sum
s146. go. 1874 was recoinage and approx
mately 1921. or, 1fS a net addition 10
the stock of gold coins. The principal
coinage was by the United States,
Great Britain. Russia, Germany, Aus
tria-Hungary, France and Japan. Inc
extraordinary coinage OF the year Is
accounted for by the preparations 81
Russia, Austria-Hungary n apa
for their monetary reforms. In the
case of Russia. particularly, goid
which has been accommodating for
wears, much of it in bars, was passed
through the minis to prepare II lor
circulation. The completion of Rus
sia's plans of monetary reform n the
opening to the uses of OF
her great gold reserve. systematically
gathered year by year until it Is the
greatest single hoard or treasure tne
,orld ever saw. is in itself a most no.
4.hIa pvnnt