New-York tribune., 1900-04-16

MR.. ALLEN CALLS ATTENTION TO THE
NECESSITY FOR ACTION BY
CONGRESS.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE.l


Washington. April 15.-For the fourth time In
the present session OF Congress- the Navy De-
psrtment has appealed to the two committees
controlling naval affairs to provide for the edu-
cation of more officers for one of the most i'm
portant Government services. which. in order
10 meet new National responsibilities has out
grown the restrictions imposed by statutes en-
acted when the force ahoat consisted merely
Of antiquated wooden ships. new fleet mas
been built, the strength Of the enlisted force mas
been more than doubled, but there has been no
ACCOMMODATING provision for increasing the num-
ber OF cadets at the Naval Academy. AS a con-
sequence. the lower grades composed of junior
officers are untitled. as many as 100 vacancies
already existing. AS the Naval Academy under
present limitations can only furnish about fifty
midshipmen a year. the conditions are continu-
ally becoming serious and the danger is
growing more imminent that the lower grades
of the Navy viii eventually be thrown open to
civilian appointments supported rather by po-
litical influence than special qualifications for
the service The Tribune has frequently calle
attention to the matter, and to the Presidents
recommendations that to each Senator be given
the right to appoint cadet, as we'll as that the
course at the Academy be shortened in order
that classes may be graduated at the end OF the
four years course instead of six years. Mr..
written the following letter to Senator
Hale chairman of the Senate Naval Committee
the subject;
The Department again invites the attention OF
your committee urgent necessity for provid-
nsn9 Sc ~ ne NaTsI Academy as viii nj the vacan-
c:es in the line of The Navy and 10 the necessity Tor
slanIiaIy Increase the authorized quota itself
has as from me yesse TO time for o9 9axs de
fence, ana at the present time four or the largest
Kearsarce has recently been commissioned the
Kentucky should De commissioned about May l5
Wisconsin within a few weeks thereafter. In order
order that they may not deteriorate and that part
of their value not be lost TO the country they
number of officers and men. Indeed. in these
sells we have gained nothing for the naval defence
OF the country unless we have me means 10 man
and fight them The Department finds that Ii 1t is
out reducing in some other particular our already
meagTe coast defence
COMPARISON WITH FOREIGN VESSELS.
The Kearsarge. ostensibly In commission and
naval strength is greatly underofficered as viii be
by the following comparison: Comparing her
tss sa hs sgssp hip snd tine Mari not
on board against seventy on board the Majestic
and forty-fve on board the Mars. Comparing the
Kearsarge. has thirteen against forty board the
Majestic and thiryone on board the Mars The
carried further in the following table:
Ship. engineer officers.
Csfnot CFrance). flagship "a
%1T. haFss Ms5ts Ftartfb aNHes sse aTs;
weissenburg lGermany) flagship. %
Rurik (Russia). flagship. 20
With the present complement of the Kearsarge
81 is possible to detail only officer for the
mand of the four guns lwo 1s-inch and two S-inch)
contained in one OF her double turrets. 1t has
come the attention Of the Department that there
is an impression that the scarcity Of officers for
duty is due to their unnecessary employment
on shore, sucn en- however is not the case One
for years has been the intimate acquaintance of its
personnel with the administration, design and
Our guns, our engines, our hulls are designed and
supervised in their manufacture by naval officers.
vices, which gives the benefit of this experience
and instruction civilians and robs the officers
and the services of IT, The officers Of our Navy
number. and are devoted almost exclusively to
duties which add directly to the efficiency of the
fleet through the excellence of the product which
they give us and the benefit of the training which
the officers get themselves. The evil effect of de-
taching officer from duty as inspector of a tor
pedo boat under construction would be felt Just
taching a watch officer from the Kearsarge
THE VALUE OF OFFICERS ON SHORE
duty. but It needs them just urgently for duty
shore. The only difference is that a place left
mediate necessity of which the evil effect is felt
at the time. while place left untitled inspection
when the imperfect vessel which has been left un.
inspected and unsupervised in construction. goes
into the service failure in the whole or in some
detail. and some day in battle is tried and found
wanting.
The conditions forth above growing more
and more exigent from month to month, and the
Department warns your COMMITTEES, and begs you tc
20 t L.s mafnng 70 Sonsfess tnat II ma:
looks 10 Congress for relief.
DIR. VAN DYKE AT COOPER UNION