The evening bulletin., 1900-11-12
NEEDS OF The NAVY.
Admiral CrOwninshiel1 Makes a Start
ling Statement In His Report
wOEFUL LACK OF OFFICERS AND MEN.
Present Personnel Would Form Onl,
One-fOurth the Establishment of
European Power-His
Recommendations.

statement is made in the report OF Al
miral Crowninshield, chief of the nav
igation bureau, that the personnel o.
the navy would form barely one-fourth
of total establishment to fight a first
class European power. 1t barely sufice1
for the Spanish war, and no longer can
be considered, the report says, as an
effective nucleus about which a larger
establishment could be formed in case
of war. The admiral regards this need
of the navy for officers and men as
most urgent. He says that the bureau
can point to many cases where the
service is being harmed by lack OF
officers. The naval academy is suffer-
ing for want of instructors and the
present high standard of training can
not be maintained. Every bureau in
the department is short of officers, and
the service, the report predicts som
will fall behind in the struggle, first,
for leaderships, and then for equality
with the other services. The disability
of the sea-going corps of officers has
greatly increased since the Spanish
war and many Of the best officers are
being lost as a result of breaking down
from overwork.
The admiral severely critises the in
effective effort of congress at the last
session to meet immediate needs for
officers by authorizing the employment
of retired officers, and he demands a
reward for faithful services. The per-
sonnel act thus far has resulted in af-
fording less officers than were on the
active list before its passage, as, while
authorizing an increase, it failed to
provide the means therefor, so there
are now 131 vacancies in the list OF
applicants. Then, to meet future needs,
it is recommended that whenever con-
gress authorizes an increase of vessels
to the navy, it also provide, in the
same act, for an increase OF officers
and men to man the ships. The report
SAYS that England, which this year
lays down Is war vessels, vote an in
crease of 4,240 officers and men to the
naval establishment to man the ships,
while Germany, which intends doub-
ling her feet in the next 16 years, has
provided in the same program for in
creasing the personnel by 80 othcers
and 1857 men each year until the
total increase reaches 35,551.
A mild reproof upon congress is
contained in the closing paragraph OF
the discouraglng condition in which
distinguished officers OF the navy have
been left by not receiving any formal
recognition for their heroic services
during the war with Spain. A num-
Der of minor recommendations ere in
cluded in the report
Flag Causes a Racial Cunt ct.
Vancouver, B. c., Nov. 12.-BltteI |
racial feeling between some French
Canadians and Britishers eliminated |
in a flag incident in the neighboling
city Of New Westminster. On the new |
stone postofice building are employed
a number OF French Canadians brought |
thither for the work from Quebec. !
They we're given a Saturday half holi-
day and hOisted the Union Jack and
the French tri-color on the same pole.
The British flag was removed surrep-
titiously and when the French ensign
was discovered floating alone over the
government building crowd of Eng
lishmen gathered to pull it down. The
French Canadians defended their flag
and a hand-to-hand conflict followed.
The authorities stopped the fight by
pulling down the offending flag. The
occurrence has caused intense feeling.
American Baseball League.
Philadelphia, Nov. 12.-The Ameri-
can Baseball league representatives
are in Philadelphia looking over the
local situation with the object OF plac-
ing a club here next season. They
came here from Baltimore and Will re-
main in Philadelphia couple Of days.
It is understood that Washington, Bal
timore and Philadelphia will In all
likelihood be included in the American
league circuit next season, together
with some other eastern city not yet
determined upon.
Expect II Compromise.
Wilkesbarre, Pa, Nov. 12.-The
minor differences which exist between
the Iehigh Valley Coal company and |