The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-11-16
NEEDS OF THE NAVY.
Otsvtllag statesnsnt 81 Hssr""s
Crowntnshield. Cher OF tho
BsreAu OF Navigation.

statement IL inhu' III w 49,
Admiral Crowninshicld, cher OF 'ho
navigation bureau, that the presen'
personncl OF the navy would FORM
barely one-fourth of the total estao'
.ishment necessary TO night hrss
class European power. IL parei! SUI
feed for the Spanish war, ana no
longer can be considered. the report
saws, as an effective neucleus ap"u'
which larger establishment could DO
formed in case OF war
The admiral regards the need OF
the navy for officers and men as moSs
Urgent. lie says that the bureau eau
point to many eases where the ser''co
Is being harmed by lack of officers.
The naval academy is suffering TOT
want Of instructors, and the present
biph standard Of training can not NC
maintained. Every bureau IN the ne-
nartment is short of officers, and the
service. the report predicts, soon VIII
fall behind in the struggle, trst LOT
leaderships. and then for equality,
with the other services. The disabil-
ty of the seagoing corps or oihcers
has greatly increased since the span
ish war, and many OF the best oihcers
ere being lost as IA result of breaking
down from oyerwork.
The admiral severely critlcizes the
Ineffective effort of congress az the
last session to meet immediate needs
for officers by authorizing employ
ment of retired officers, and he de-
mands the immediate repeal OF that
net. He claims that the retired hs',
intended as reward for faithiui
service. otherwise becomes hardship
and punishment. The personnel act
thus far has resulted in affording less
officers than were on the active list
before it's passage, while in author
ling an increase, it failed TO proViue
the means therefor: so that there are
now l31 vacancies in the list OF naval
, officers which vacancies can not be the
, least afforded. Therefore, IT Is recon-
mended for the next ten years that
appointments to the naval academy DC
doubled. the president and representa-
tives in congress appointing two IN
stead of one wherever authorized
, now. and in addition senator's beng
given the same privilege of appoint
ment as representatives. Then, 70
! meet future needs, it is recommended
: that whenever congress authorizes an
increase of vessels to the navy II also
provide, in the same act Tor an IN
crease of officers and men TO man the
:, ships. The report SAYS that England,
which this year. lays down 10 war YES
sells. voted an increase of APO officers
and men to the naval establishment
j, TO man the ships. while Germany
! which intends doubling her fleet III
, the next l6 years. has provided IN the
same programme for increasing the
= personnel by 50 officers and l.os' mer
q each year until the total increase
:. reaches 35,55l.
1t is declared that il is now impos
sible to man the vessels OF our nav!
already constructed. with the pre- sen
force. not to mention those building
or authorized. Congress is urged y
~ make any increase in the personnc
Immediately available.
= The training system as now rrac
]. ticed in the navy is commended, an
=. II is declared that by no other mean
= could the navy secure the sailors nee
essary to man the fleet. Since tn
close of the Spanish war the depart
- ment has found that the resource
~ heretofore depended on to furnis
=. seamcn for the navy are no 'onse
adequate. Only 237 seamen have 81
listed for the first enlistment in III
past wear, so the departmen has bee
obliged 20 rely upon and develop III
r. training squadron for landsnlcn an
now has abou5 one thousand men M
der instruction. who, on the aye~ag
require about six months training.
Admiral Crowninshield regards il ;
most important commercially that "
keep always a fair representation
~ the South Atlantic station, sayii
- that in no part Of the world are ~
~ vessels more cordially received a.
Z" nowhere can he traced direct pen
- fits to trade more clearly than on tn
- station. As TO North Atlantic 81
tions. regret is expressed that the II
- portant drills of the squadron a
compelled to be often interrupted
attendance Of vessels at local celebr
'n' tons which tend to dcmoralize Il
'n' efficiency of the personnel.
- One chapter deals at some leng
y. with the history of the Asatic statt
!. during the year, and the participate
Of the navy and marine corps III Z
~ Chinese operations are set olt IN soi
II. detail.
,ar In connection with a reference
ne. the grounding of the Oregon. Admin
il, Crowninshield mentions the courte
i'm shown by the Japanese government
generously extending its resources
..n repairs to the ship. The report NAL
..n rhc point that the government sho,
~, construct or acquire on the Asia
station a dock of IT'S own.
Died In nm Insane Hospital.
Muwcie. Ind. Nov. l2.-Cyrus
Medley, aged -. died Unexpectedly
rat The eastern Indiana HOSPITAL for