Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-11-29
OUR GROWING NAVY.
Secretary Longs Annual Re
port Made Public.
OPERATIONS OF ASIA1IC SQUADRON.

and Tien- -tsin-C om pletiOn of yen-
sells Under Construction Will
Require Much Larger Force.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27.-The annu-
al report OF the secretary Of the navy,
just made public, opens with history OF
the operations of the Asiatic squadron.
Among other things Secretary Long says:
THE feet on the Asiatic station has CO.
operated with the army in the Philip
pines. transporting and conveying troops,
patrolling wide area of badly chart
I'd waters, sending out landing parties
and keeping the coast clear of the enemy.
The small gunboats have been of great
value in preventing the landing OF arms
for the insurgents and cutting of Illicit
trade with and among the islands.
THE cordiality which has character
lied the relations of the army and navy
is shown by numerous reports from Off
GERS on duty in the Philippines and is
alike creditable to both branches of the
service.
In view of the disturbed conditions in
Asiatic waters and of the demands upon
the navy the department early in the
year deemed it expedient to augment the
force in that quarter. The commander
in chief of the Asiatic station, Rear Ad-
miral Remey, was accordingly given an
assistant. Rear Admiral kempff, to in
sure under command of an officer Of rank
and experience a division Of the feet il
necessary in quarters distant from the
Philippines. Almost Immediately there
after circumstances made il necessary to
maintain a separate force in Chinese wa
ters, and the junior rear admiral was or
dered to proceed with squadron to
Taku, China.
When, therefore, an appeal for help
came from the legations at Peking, this
government not only had an adequate
naval force at the nearest seaport town,
but also was able to send forward imme-
diately a force Of marines for the protec-
tion Of the United States legation.
''fhe annals of history present few ex-
amples of more dramatic interest than
the story of the beleaguered legations in
Picking, from June 90, 1900, the date on
which the German minister was killed
and the siege began, until Aug. IA. when
the allied forces entered the Chinese capi-
tai. Onicial and unofficial reports, and
particularly the dispatches OF our min
lister, show that the American marines
bore their full share in the burdens of de-
tense during this memorable siege.
The United States legation was sit
uated just inside OF and near to the wall
OF the Tartar city. When the legations
were assaulted. the American detach-
meut Immediately occupied a position on
the city wall. a strategic point Of great
established an improvised
sandbag fort there. which enabled them
tn defend the section of wall immediate
ly commanding the legations. and, al
though repeatedly attacked by over
whclming numbers and on two occasions
driven for a few minutes from the wall,
they were never permanently dislodged.
hut held this vital position until relief
came.
lin the meantime the foreign settle
ment in Tientsin itself was subjected
Ii attack. and communication between
that city and Taku was interrupted. On
the 10th of June Il detachment of \ Off
GERS and 1872 enlisted men, chiefly from
the first regiment of marines dispatched
fiom Cavite by the Newark and Nash
Vile. arrived at Taku. Instructions were
given that this force should
take part in the forward movement for
the relief OF the besieged at Tien-tsin.
TO record the instances Of gallantry
displayed by our officers and men at the
capture OF Tientsin would almost be
equivalent to II publication Of the entire
roster"
The secretary then refers briefly to
the movements Of the north and south
Atlantic squadrons and at the Pacific
station. Under the head of navy per
sonnel he says:
The need Of officers for sea duty il
steadily growing, and at times the de-
partinent is seriously embarrassed by lack
of necessary officers to properly man YES
scls required for immediate service.
This need will be still greater when
vessels authorized or building are com
plcted and ready for commission. The
report of the bureau Of navigation rep
rescnts that il would be impossible ut the
present time to man our availab BILE fleet
We're an emergency 10 occur demanding
such action. Attention is earnestly in
yited to the detailed suggestions Of this
report and to the statement that with the
completion Of vessels now under con-
struction an immediate increase will be-
needed in the enlisted force of not less
than 5000 men.
4 list is given Of the ~ vessels. large
and small. now under construction. show
ing the progress of the work. Nearly all
of the above number will be completed
before the close of 1901. In conclusion
the secretary says:
The bestowal of 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
witheut them. The fact that the nations
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 deviation to duty.
The past year has been So prolific Of
such examples that. while the eunmers
iion Of them Ia detail II here impractical
bic. the department calls special stten-
tion to the official reports in which they
appear. They are found in every line Of
the naval service. not ouly In battle
which makes service conspicuous. but
on the voyage. Ia watches along the coast.
ia expeditions to distant islands. in the
irving responsibilities of command. often