The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-29
The NAVY OF 90.
The Plans of the Navy Department. and What
It Means to the Country

navy has taken to heart ore those learned
lrtm the first actual battle tests OF high power
i that rcwder hereafter must be sinckclcss,
y rs gratifying 10 know that al our vessels
Slll have this and nothing else for all CALI
ncts except that the cheaper brown powder
viii continue to he used for target practice.
az least until the stock on hand Is disposed
o. Some OF our ships already have full OUT
u IN time. Tho benefit q be derived is not
only that of preventing tho line OF fire from
being opscured, but the inereass of initial
Velocity, rangc and penetrating power in
which our guns have been behind the best
foreign heavy caliherr.
AZ e guns. cne important lesson IL that all
out d, inch and at least some OF our S-inch
gins must be converted into quick fircrs.
This process Ind bsen beguu before tho war
broke out and during the past twelve months
tnirty-threc OF the former calihcr and two OF
tht lSiter have been SO converted; but the
testimony OF the Spaniards thar 4, was the
Ina, sroy So,gc o. rn c i KEN oSn spms
shows that rapid tirc mounts must be applied
70 all calihers possible. M
One result OF the Increase Of power IN guns
Is expected 10 be that the is-iuch will servs
az the. maximum caliher in future battleships
instead OF the iasinch, And yet We find simu,.
,,sncous Improvements IN armor tho now
hrunr race hardening rrccees being very
rtomising. In the endless duel between guns
ana armor II Is only necessary to give tho
Ion n1Mef snoHsn to osessee she rrns
and ~ atnor also wo find tho navy counting
not on giving the war vessel a greater de-
gree OF irlrregnahlty. but on reducing the
OF the hull as the quality is Improved
4 NAVAL RESERVE, @
The principal reason for the recomments-
ton by Captain crowinshield OF tho bureau
Of navigation that Tho limit of tho force Of
mon enlisted In The navy he Increased 70
10000 with il provision for enlisting 2s0o APP
pren,ires IS not alohc tho Increase IN the
number Of vosseis so much as " III the fail.5
uto OF the naval militia to come up 20 the
standard expected OF them By naval OFFICERS
Mr., Allen. the assistant serretafy " Tie
navy. says that tho naval mllttln system ier
relled the Inherent weakness OF It's organic
den onstrated the fact that The country ~
absolutely in need VI n proper Force o. naval
militia which can he promptly moniliacd UNI
dor the call OF the president, Like Captain
Crowinshield, he thinks that Tits rpserye
should be composed OF scafaring men and
that It's status should DO thai OF body al
reetlS under tho control OF tho Federal gov
ernment
such force should be maintained out Of
the Federal appropriations, and there should
be no divided authority.
About 5000 man, In ADDITION 10 those now in
service would be required TO completely man
navy when the ships under construction
are compile ted. aud even al present proNtbfe,t
should be made for one half that number, o.
1000 NET. These 1910 reserve men could he
enrolled from the naval lniiitia msn Who saw
service IN the Spanish war supplemented by
eDrnllment from the sea(aring places OF mon
TO whom the amount CT pay during service.
the Transportation to and from ther practice
atotiops aud the uniforms furnished would
be sufficient inducsment.
The cost to the government would he $751;,
0Ot and Mr.. Allen submits the Draft OF DIV
&c carry out his views ON this pcint