The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-11-12


90 the Naval Academy should Be
DoubIed-New Navy Personnel Act
Did Not go Far Enough-COngress
Reproved for Not R~NvardtnE the
Heroes of the Fight with spain.
Washington. Nov 1.-THE startling
statement Is made in the report OF Al
miral CroWninshicld. chief OF the Navi-
cation Bareau. that the present person
mel OF the navy would form barely one
fourth of the total establishment necos-
sary Ia nsht hrs,-class Eur pean Pow
cr. II barely sufslctd Tor the spanish WA.
and no longer can be considered. tho
report says as an effective nucleus about
which a larger establishment couli be
formed in case OF war.
The Admiral regards this need Of the
navy for officers ana men as most urs-
cnt lie says that the bureau can potnt
10 many cases where the service IS be-
ing harmed by lack of on GERS The Nav
al Academy Is suffering for want o( In
structors. ond the present hiEh stand
ara OF training cannot be maintained
Every bureau In the department IS short
Of officers. and the service. the report
predicts. soon win fall beaind la the
struggle Grst FOR leader hirs. ani then
for equality. with the other services.
The disability of the seasolng corps o.
officers has greatly increased since the
spanish war. and many OF the bcst oii-
GERS aie being lost as a result Of br ak
ins down from overwork.
The Admiral severely criticises the IN
effective EFFORT OF Congress al the last
Session to meet immediate needs for Of
Hcers hy authorizing the employment Of
retired officers. ana he demands tho i'm
mediate repeal 81 that act. He claims
that the retired list. Intended as re-
ward for faithful service. otherwise be-
comes a hardship and "a punishment
The persounel act thus FAR has result
"a IN affordlag less officers than were on
the active Hst before lts passage. There
are now l8i vacancies in she list q naval
officers. when vacancies can be least af-
forded Therefore q - recommended for
the next ten years that appointment =
% the naval acaiemy be doubled. the
President and representative in Congress
appointing two instead OF one wherever
authorized now. and ia addition senators
being given the same privilege OF ap-
ppiutmcnt as representative. Then. 20
meet further needs. It j. recommended
that whenever Congress authorizes an
Increase of vessels TO the navy. 1t also
provide in the same act Tor an increase
OF officers and men 90 man the ships.
Not Enough TO Man our ships.
Il IS declared that 81 is now impossible
20 man the vessels of our navy already
constructed with the pr sent force not
10 mention those building o- authorized.
Admiral Crowulushield regards as most
important commercially that We keep al
ways a fair representation on the South
Atlantic station. saying that in 10 part
Of the world are our vessels more cordial
iy received and nowhere can be traced di-
rect benefits TO trade more clearly than on
this station. As 10 the North Atlantic
slatlon. regret Is expressed that tho inn
portant drills Of the squa lron nrr com
PEELED 90 De often Interrupted hy attend
ance Of the vessels az local ciebrauons
which tend 10 demoralizc the efficiency OF
the personue.
There were 2.i52 descriions from the
navy and eighty-s.X deaths during the
past fiscal year. The cniistments number
S.i13. from total number of applicants
OF iUNtf over - per cent of the men in
the navy are native born. 70 per cent. are
naturalized and Per cent. have declared
intentions. Ninety-two .cr cent OF the
lanlsmcn now under training are native
born.
Needs of Naval Academy.
Ccstly urged that no phy sica. disquall-
hcItious OF cadeis shall be waived here
after as there has been marked deterlor-
alton ia the past ten years 30 the physi-
cal condition OF the graduating cadets.
owing 10 abandonment Of the vigorous
wedding out process which has now
fallen into diSusc. u is also strongly
urged that the two years supplemental
strong commentator is gives TO the sii-
pcrinteudents recommc ndation that the
course az sea shall be- abandoned Finalit
abo limi' for cadets upon admiss on shall
be- between the ages of IS and is ana that
the course 40 the academy shall ~ four
years
mild reproof upon Congress lF con-
toinel in tho closing paragraph ~ the re-
port which calls attention 90 the diacoIr-
aclus cofd.tion Ia which dlstin u.sf ed
officer of the navy have been irfi hy not
receiving ans formal recognition for their
heroic services during the war with Sp3sn.
The r,rort Says ihat the navy lad NJ
qart ln the unfortuuat public coutrove er y
witch faIYwe1 upon the Pro id mrs rsc-
oumordaticn that certain 0flc e. sho. n
hc promoted and adds that thus far the e.
hos been no recognition by Conlr..s. eN-
-eut OF those who snared iu the victory a.
Manila. and three who served elsewhere
ln the war