The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-27

made appropriation. it was determined TO
establish such a magazine on Iona Island,
a tract containing Ill acres. situated near
the west bank of the Hudson River. about
forty miles above New York City.
"A dry dock capable of accommodating
the largest vessels is needed in the Phil
ippine Islands. When the Oregon ground
ed last summer in Chinese waters, through
the courtesy of the japanese Government
the use of the dock at Kure, Japan, was
secured
Aside from direct considerations OF
economy and convenience, 1t is important
that this Government should have, under
its own control and always at command,
in time of war as we'll as of peace. sufii-
cient docking facilities to meet the re-
quirements of the fleet in far eastern
waters. The Department has accordingly
appointed a board to examine into and
report, for submission to Congress, upon
the best and most available site for 4
naval station and dry dock in the Philip
pine Islands"
The Marine Reserves.
The following reference is made to a
national naval reserve:
Although the seafaring class of our
people is comparatively large one, it is
not now brought into touch with the
naval service and the Navy Department
in time of peace in such manner as to in
struct and prepare any part Of 1t for as
sistance to the regular service in case OF
a sudden outbreak of war. Means should
be provided to this end. and the matter
should receive the immediate attention OF
Congress and provision made. as recon-
mended in my last annual report, for en-
rolling, in addition to the naval militia,
which Is an organization of the States
and under their regulation. naval re-
serve of national character, which shall
be under the call and general direction
of the Navy Department"
Wireless TcleErnphy Experiments.
Wireless telegraphy is recommended
for the navy, as follows:
I'm view of the possibilities of the sys-
tenn of wireless telegraphy, experiments
Herewith have been conducted by two
vessels and a torpedo boat OF the North
Atlantic squadron in connection with
station established by permission of the
Treasury Department on the grounds OF
the Highland Lights, near the entrance
to the port of New York. A board of ex-
perts, consisting of three naval officers,
was detailed by the Department to carry
tanning the capabilities and usefulness
to the navy of the system.
After a series of trials. extending over
a week, in New York Bay and at sea off
Highland Lights, the board made favor
able report on the Marconi system, the
only serious defect found being what is
commonly known as interference. The
board recommended that the system be
given thorough trial in the navy, but
the Department did not consider 1t adj
visable to conduct further experiments at
that time, although an apparatus some
what similar to that used in the Marconi
system was installed at the naval torpedo
station at Newport, r. l., and instruc-
lions in its use have since been given to
various classes of officers in attendance"
Hall of Public Records.
1t is recommended that hall of public
records be built for the safekeeping of
documents. 1t Is also recommended that
statue be erected to Admiral Porter.
1t is asked that the term of enlistment
in the Marine Corps be reduced from five
years to four.
The present system of rewarding naval
officers for valor by promoting them not
more than thirty numbers is said, in the
report, to be unfair. as some officers are
advanced at the expense Of others as de-
serving. 1t is recommended that the re-
ward take the form of medals-the hon
or" medal, the courage" medal, and the
service" medal. The first Is to be pre-
sented by the President and the other two
by the Secretary of the Navy.
Special Rewards Urged.
The report concludes as follows: 1.-The
bestowal of these special rewards is urged
because it is appropriate and just that
they should be given, and not from the
fear that duty will not be well done with
out them. The fact that the nations ac-
acknowledgements are tagging behind the
brilliant performance of its officers and
men in active service does not seem to
have in any degree impaired the quality
of their patriotism and devotion to duty.
THE past year has been SO prolific of
such examples that. while the enumera-
tion of them in detail is here mpracti-
cable. the Department calls special at
tention to the official reports in which
they appear. They are found in every
line of the naval service. not only in bat
tie, which makes service conspicuous, but
on the voyage, in watches along the coast,
in expeditions to distant islands. in the
trying responsibilities of command often
una!ded and alone. in the unmartial work
of transportation. in hospital and on sta
ton, in surveys and soundings, in instruc-
tion and discipline, in the inestimably
preparatory work of the bureaus
and navy yards. and in all the shifting
variety of exacting duties in which SER
vice, il not conspicuous, is none the less
deserving and is rendered with a zeal,
loyalty, and ability as heroic in the home
ly routine of commonplace as when ex-
hibited on the field of glory. There is no
finer type of The public servant trained to
high sense of his official obligations, and
no hand in which the honor of his coun-
try and the rights of its citizens are safer,
than are to be found in the navy of the
United States"