The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1900-11-22
STARTLING STATEMENT
| OF | MVl CHIEF
Not Enough Men to
Man Ships now in
Commission.
ACADEMY NEEDS INSTRUCTORS
VESSELS AUTHORIZED WITHOUT
CORRESPONDING INCREASE
OF PERSONNEL.
Admiral CrowninshieId Points Out
the Necessity Of Congress Provid-
ing for More Men-Why Armored
Vessels are Needed at Manila.

WASHINGTON, Nov 1.-THE start
ling statement is made in the report
of Admiral CrowninshIeld. chief OF the
navigation bureau, that the present
personnel OF the navy would form
barely one-fourth of the total establish
ment necessary to fight a frst-class
European power. 1t barely sufficed
| 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 urg-
ent. He says that the bureau can
/ point 10 many cases where the SER
vice is being harmed by lack OF Of
/ fcers.
The naval academy is insufficient
/ for want of instructors, and the pres
ent high standard of training cannot
/ be maintained. Every bureau in the
department is short of officers. and the
service. the report predicts, soon will
! fall behind in the struggle-first for
| leadership and then for quality-with
/ the other services. The disability of
1 the sea-going corps of officers has
greatly increased since the Spanish
war, and many of the best officers are
down from overwork.
The admiral severely criticises the
/ Ineffective effort of congress at the
| last session to meet immediate needs
for officers by authorizing the employ
ment of retired officers, and he de-
mands the immediate repeal of this
act. He claims that the retired list,
! intended as the reward for faithful SER
vice, otherwise becomes a hardship
and punishment The Personnel Act
! thus far has resulted in affording less
officers than were on the active list
| before its passage, as. while authoriz-
| ing an increase, it failed to provide
the means therefor, so there are now
| 131 vacancies in the list of naval Of
ficers, when vacancies can be least af-
forded Therefore it is recommended
for the next ten years that appoint
ments to the naval academy be dou-
bled. the president and representa-
tives in congress appointing two in
stead of one wherever authorized now.
and in addition senators being given
.le same privilege of appointment as
representatives. Then. to meet future
needs, it is recommended that when
ever congress authorizes an increase
of vessels to the navy it also provide
in the same act for an increase of Of
ticers and men to man the ships
The report says that England which
this year lays down fifteen war YES
sells, votes an increase of 4.24O officers
and men to the naval establishment to
man the ships. while Germany, which
intends doubling her fleet in the next
sixteen years, has provided in the
same program for increasing the per-
sonnet for s. officers and LOGS men
until the total increase reaches 35.-
55l.
1t is declared that it is now inn
possible to man the vessels of our
navy already constructed with the
present force. not to mention those
building or authorized. Congress is
urged to make any increase in per-
sonnet Immediately available.
The training system as now prac-
ticed in the navy is commended. and
it is declared that by no other means |
could the navy secure the sailors nee
essary to man the fleet Since the |
close of the Spanish war the depart |
ment has found that the resources |
which were heretofore depended upon /
TO furnish seamen for the navy are no |
longer adequate. Only 237 seamen |
have enlisted for the first enlistment |
IN the last year, so the department has /
been Obliged to rely upon and develop
the training squadron for landsmen.
and now has about 1000 men under in
struction, who. on the average, require
about six months training.
Admiral Crowninshield regards il as
most important commercially that We
keep always fair representation on
the South Atlantic station. saving that
in no part of the world are our vessels
more cordially received, and nowhere
can be traced direct benefits 10 trade
more clearly than on this station AS
TO North Atlantic stations. regret is ex-
pressed that the important drills Of
the So ladron are compelled to be Of
ten interrupted by attendance of the
Tessels at local celebrations which
Tend to demoralize the efficiency Of
he personnel
One chapter deals at some length
with the history of the Asiatic station
Turing the year. and the participation
IF the navy and marine corps in the
Chinese operations are set ont in some
ietail
The report makes the point that the
government should construct or az
luire on the Asiatic station a dock
Of its own. There were 2.452 deser-
ions from the navy and So deaths
Turing the past fiscal year. The en-
istments number SIPS from a total
number Of applicants OF 1885 Over
IS per cent of the men in the navy
are native born. 10 per cent are nat
aralized and per cnt have declared :
Intentions. Ninety-two per cent Of
he landsmen now under training are
Touching the naval academy, IT is
urged that no physical disqualification
,f cadets shall be waived hereafter.
rs there has been a marked deserior-
alton in the past ten years in the