The Jersey City news., 1899-06-20
U. S. S. Portsmouth.

divisions. Inc sailor men nave pciis 49,
| letter to leading citizens of the State, OF
which this is a copy
U. S. S. Portsmouth.
Hoboken, N. j., June IL, ls99.
| Dear Strive wish to call your atten-
| ordered in the Battalion of the East.
Naval Reserve of New Jersey, when most
| seriously threaten not only us ,',s enicle,Ss
| but the organization itself, ana 70 secu, :
| your active interest and support in our
| endeavor to obtain modification or WIFI
| drawa1 of that order.
In the early part of this year the Coy. Coy
| ernor. as "Commander-in-Chie of the
military and naval forces of New Jersey,
| appointed a Commission for the purpose
of examining into the practlcaplilty o1
consolidating and imprSying the pre- preSedn,,' Sc !
The report of this Commission. which was
approved by the Governor and ordered TO
be put into effect at once, contained
provision that instead of three divisions,
the Battalion of the East should consist
of only two. and that the First and Thlrd
Divisions should be consolidated into one.
AS the law limits the SIZE OF tne ulVlslo,, loi,
to four officers and eighty-one men, you
will readily see that this consolidation
so-called means the immediate dis6and-
ment and discharge of one-thlrd OF the
entire force -,
To this objection is made Ior tne loi-
lowing reasons:-
First--Because the consolidation ordered
is impracticable. The First Division OF
the Naval Reserve is organized ana
trained as sailors, the deck force OF a
ship; the Third Division is organized ana
trained as engineers, the engine and hre-
room force of ship. 1t may be com
paratively easy matter to consolidate
companies of an infantry regiment, Where
officers and men receive the same IN
struction and training and have the same
kind of duties to- perform; seamen ana
engineers whose training ana duties are
entirely dissimiar cannot be consolidated
if it is desired to preserve efhclency- A
man can hardly perform duty in the en-
gine room or deck force (both of which re-
duire special trainingl and do both Wen:
and no man can perform both kinds OF
duty at the same time.
Seeond-T3ecause it destroys the organ
ization The Commission on Reorganiza-
ton was appointed for the purpose OF re-
porting plans for improving the present
Cutting off one-third of the entire force
and consolidating" seamen and en-.
gineers does not Improve the present
organization as far, as the Naval Re-
The Battalion of the East, Naval Re-
serve of New Jersey, is, as its. name I'M
piles naval force, so created ana pro-
vided for by law, and as naval force
1t is organized as ships company of
seamen and engineers; two-third sea-
men, the men who man the guns and
perform deck duty; one-third engineers,
the men who perform duty In the en-
ond Divisions of the Battalion comprise
the deck force, the Third Division IS the
engine force These proportions are ex-
act and necessary and meet naval re-
quirements. Carrying out the order Tor
reduction of one-third the force leaves
q supposed ships company without any
engineers, or with but half the proper
number in the deck force. In either way
| the balance, harmony and efficiency is
destroyed. In the recent war with Spain
| the Battalion of the East furnished the
entire complement for United States
war vessel. both in the engine room and
| on deck. a record unapproached by any
| Naval Reserve command in the country.
| II was its organization, now endangered,
| which n.adu it possible. ss
Third-RecaIse 1t is unnecessary. No
reasons of any kind have appeared show
| ing any special necessity of cutting down
| the Naval Reserve at this time. There
| is no charge of lack of efficiency or
| discipline, no intimation of a failure to
maintain proper standard. no plea of
| economy 1t takes time to build up an
| organization, to secure instructed officers
and experienced men, and the record of
| the Battalion of the East has been one
| of progress. Its men have had the ad-
vantage of four years training, almost
| all of them are veterans of foreign
| war, and have served beyond the con-
| fines of the United States, and the COM
mand is better fitted now to give eff
| cient service to the State and Nation
| than ever before. The only. possible eff
i
| of $500 year, and surely the finances of
| New Jersey are not in such desperate
| straits that reduction in SO small an
amount is imperative.
Fourth-Because of the composition Of
| the Commission and because the Naval
/ Reserve was unfepresented thereon. The
Commission on Reorganization, as ap-
pointed by the Governor, consisted solely
| of military officers, the Naval Reserve
| lad no representative. With all due def
erenee and respect for the individual
| SION they were not naval men, were en-
| tirely unfamiliar with the needs and re
qualified to make expert recommendations
/ upon Improving the present organiza-
| ton" of the Battalion of the East. None
! of it's officers were consulted, no notilica-
| ton of any proposed changes given, and
| opposition thereto. The first knowledge
! the Battalion had OF sach changes were
their publication.
| Fifth-Because the Reorganization does
not deal equitably with the military and
naval forces Of the State. In reorganiz-
ing the military force. the authorized
its former existing strength; in reorganiz-
ing the Naval Reserve, one-third of the
entire force Is at once wiped out of exist
| ence
In reorganizng the military force, pro-
vision is made for the various branches
of the service and no attempt is made OF
consolidating ,a infantry with cavalry, OF
ing the Naval Reserve. no provision l.
made for the. necessary branches. anu
consolidation is ordered of seamen and
| engineers. Gf the military force needs in
fantry, cavalry. artillery etc, the Naval
reserve requires its seamen and engineers
In proper proporton).
In the reorganization of the military
force, the men of such commands as are
consolidated or disbanded have, In al
most all cases, the opportunity of con
tinuing their service in similar. commands
| which are authorized or provided for; iI
the reorganization of the Naval Reserve
no such opportunity Is presented-the divi-
sions have reached the limit of numbers
allowed by law, the men Of the disbanded
division cannot join the remaining divi-
sions there is no room for them. They
are Arbitrarily discharged, cut off, turned
j adrfft. And these men are veterans who
have served with credit to their State and
who deserve well of It.
In short, the reorganization Of the mill
i tary forces is what its name implies, and
4 calls for no very material changes ir
| strength or personnel; while the so called
| REORGANIZATION" of the Naval Reserve Is
misnomer-there is no reorganization