Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-03
THE REWARD WITHHELD
Naval Officers Denied Promotion by the
Senate.
Rear Admiral CrOwnInshfcId's Report
Service Almost Wholly Native
Barracks for Receiving Ships.

i- IiipsL SlllhlHS feature OF l1e annual
report of Rear Admiral Crowninshield
chief of the bureau of navigat ton. Is his
reference to the failure of Congress to rec
ognize the valiant services of the officers
of the North Atlantic fleet in the blockad-
Ing operations in the West Indies during
the Spanish war, eliminating in the de-
struction of the Spanish fleet off Santiago
July 3, 1893. His report which is adj
dressed to the Secretary of the Navy on
that point is as follows:
Another condition of affairs discouraging
to proud and ambitious officers who have
| risked and accomplished is the ragged and
irregular result that seems an inevitab BILE
consequence Of any effort to give perma-
nent or substantial official recognition to
bravery, gallantry or devotion. Before the
outbreak of the war you addressed TO the
officers of the North Atlantic fleet through
the admiral a letter. from which the fol-
lowing is an extract:
Each man engaged in the work of the
inshore squadron should have in him the
stun out of which to make a possible Cush-
ing; and If the man wins. the recognition
given him shall be great as that given
to Gushing, so far as the department can
bring this about
Every effort of the department TO re-
deem this solemn pledge has been baked.
OF the officers who served in the North At
lanUc waters three have been confirmed in
the recognition urged by the depa rtmcnt-
two because their cases We're presented at
propitfous moments, the other because of
mlsapprehension. The rest, numbering
among them every gallant captain at San
tago on July 3. and all the brave captains
of the eVer-ready gunboatS numbering
among them officers who risked in many
desperate expeditions - cable cutting. as
spies. seeking information. blocking and
blockading harbors. scouting - numbering
among them all those who hesitated not
ard including at the head of all the able
and determined officer who planned,
worked out and executed the whole cam
paign. and who finally contaminated the
one victory which was vital to the enemy
he and all the rest have absolutely moth
ing. The greatest among these has not
much as the medal which was given to
each of the hundreds who shared in a vic
tory won in more propitous hour,
Sailors Nearly All Americans.
The enlisted strength of the navy June
30, 1899, 14,501, of whom ~. III Were
sailors and 1870 petty officers. over 81
per cent of fhe petty officers are native
born. over 81 per cent of the foreign born
are naturalized and 81 per cent of the whole
number are citfzers of The United Stat
while 60 per cent of the remainder have
declared their Intention 10 become citizens
over " per cent of the other enlisted men
are native born, II per cent OF the foreign
born ara naturalzed and - per cent of the
whole number are citizens: of the le-
HldiilutT ~ per cent nave declared 1nelr
intention to become citizens. over 81 per
cent of the apprentices are native born.
Over Ga per cent of the whole enlisted force
are native born. Thirty of the o.767 meu
enlisted for service during the war with
Spain are still in the service, the others
having been discharged. All but Is of the
Sj6 officers commissioned for service during
the Spanish war have also been discharged.
Barracks Instead of Receiving Ships
As a result of mis- receut visit to England
Admiral Crouninshield recommends the
erection of suitable barracks for the hous-
ing CT enlisted men of the navy and doing
away with the receiving ships now employ
ed in that service He asks for total appro-
priations of s2.4o0,V00 to carry out his
recommendations in that respect. This
sum includes $500. 900 for seamen's quarters
at League Island and Mare Island navy
yards; Sso9,1o0 for barracks at Cob dock
New York harbor and 500 900 each for
barracks to replace the receiving ships
Wabash, at Boston, and Franklin. at Nor
folk. He says that the annual saving in
the one item of care-taking alone is more
than sufficient to justify, from a business
standpoint, the erection of barracks and
the abandonment of the hulkS
Admiral Crowninshieid says that when
our apprentice system is more fully &c:
Veloped, which will be the case after the
completion of the new barracks at San
francisco and Newport, it is hoped that
the flow of boys from the training ships to
tlle general service VIII be sufficient to
make good the number in the seamen
branch of the enlisted force of the navy
He says it is far from being the case at
present Under a system Just adopted
large numbers of intelligent native-born
young men will be found from which man
of-Warsmen can be made, and they will be
given proper training before sending them
on board regular cruiser.
National Naval Reserve.
The bureau renews it's recommendation
that the state militia organiza tions be fed
Grated into national reserve.