The San Francisco call., 1899-11-15
REFORMS in THE NAVY.

\kESS crltlClSn upon those portions OF the re-
~ port OF Rear Admiral Crowninsheld which re-
fected upon Congress and upon Admiral
Dewey have had the effect it is said of causing 4
revision OF the report, and when is officially issued
it will be found to have been so altered that there will
be little or nothing in it to which any one can
rightly object
The admiral has acted wisely in profting by
the comments upon his work and it is probable the
naval service will derive benefit from the wisdom,
for that the Objectionable features of the report
eliminated more attention will be given those
recommendations which are of genuine merit
Among the things to which the attention of Con-
gress is directed by the report the wasefuness and
nadequacy OF the receiving ship system and the ad-
vantages which would result if our warships out OF
active service manned by skeleton and
kept in good repair, available for immediate service
in case OF an emergency, instead of being laid up and
cared for only by watchmen 1t is pointed out that
with expanding commerce and our increasing
interests in all parts OF the world it will longer be
expedient to leave great battle-ships or cruisers
lying idle in port, There should be in the navy a
force sufficient to keep them all fairly we'll manned
and ready for use, To that end it has been recon-
mended that the receivng-shp system be supplanted
by policy OF maintaining permanent barracks at the
larger naval stations at which accommodations could
and for the recruits and apprentices
needed in the naval service
The report made by Assistant Secretary Allen
relative to the naval militia contains recommenda-
tions in line with those OF the rear admiral In sub
stance that officer says that the personnel act has
made the term OF service OF enlisted in the navy
four years, the periods should be fixed for the
enrolment in the naval reserve, and the Off
should be promoted in war time with the regular
officer with whom he holds the same date of com
mission 1t is also recommended that steps be taken
for the organization OF permanent coast signal sys-
TEN from the retired list of the navy and the employees
OF the lighthouse andlifesavng service. There
eral thousand OF these men, and with a small appro-
pration and annual drill for few days each year
they would be competent the report says take up
their duties Immediately upon the outbreak of war.
With retired naval officer in charge of each light
house district and an officer in charge at the Navy
Department and the necessary paraphernaia at the
nearest navyyard ready for use this necessary adjunct
OF could be put in working order in twenty-four
hours
1t will be seen that the object of these recommenda-
tons is TO obtain increase in the naval force Of
the nation. Congress, while liberal enough in provid-
ing for the construction OF warshps OF various kinds
has not been equally liberal in providing for the
maintenance OF the number OF men and officers neces-
sary for manning the ships. The most important
naval work before this Congress- therefore, will be
that OF making due provision for the care mainte-
nance and navigation Of the fleets we have CON
structed and the reports of the two officers we have
quoted suggest the means by which it may be best
accomplished