The Irish standard., 1900-12-01
REPORTS ON TIE NAVY.
Secretary Long Praises Work of
American, Scnmen-alUl2eA Some
important Recommendations.


Washington, Nov 27.-The annual re-
port of Secretary of the Navy Long con-
tains many interesting comments on the
work of our sailors and marines during
the past year, and many important rec
concentrations for changes i'll the naval
service.
The work of the navy in Chinese wa
ters. and the part played by our sailors
and marines in the stirring scenes at
tending the Boxer uprising in that coun-
Try, is given first place i'll the report
1t is pointed out that because of pre-
caltionary measures taken by the de-
partment before the beginning Of the
trouble i'll Peking this government had an
adequate naval force 1T the nearest sea-
port town from which assistance could
bo offered when the trouble came. and
that before the closing of communication
betWeen the Chinese coast and PellinS
iorce of marines. consisting: of o6 ot1i-
GERS and men, had been sent 10 Pclling TO
serve as Il legation guard. OF the part
Whlch this guard took in the stirring
scenes which followed Secretary Long
SAYS:
THE annals of history present few en-
amp!eS of more dramatic interest than
lhp story of the beleaGuered legations in
~ KING, from June 20 1890, The date on
which the German minister was killed
'.t'" AiN< olSSS JGottii, ulltAi .Nus,usA IL
when the allied forces entered the Chi
nese capital. Official ard unofficial re-
ports, and particularly the dispatches Of
our minister, show that the American
marines bore their full share in the bur-
uenS OF defense during this memorable
siege. The United States legation was
situated just inside Of and near to the
wall OF the Tartar city. When the lega-
lions were assaulted, the American de-
tachment Immediately occupied a posi-
ton on the city wall. a, strategic point
OF great importance; established an M
Drovised sandbag fort there which en-
,bled them to defend the section Of wall
Immediately commanding the legations,
and. although repeatedly attacked by
overwhelming numbers. and on two occa-
SONS driven for (: few minutes from the
| vail they were never permanently dis
lodged, but held this vital position until
telief cane.'
lie also praises highly the force Of
American seamen and marines, which,
under Cant: McCalla. participated i'll the
,sttempt led by Admiral Seymour. of the
English navy, to relieve the legations at
FekinS. That the heroism OF these men
VAS appreciated. abroad as we'll as at
| home is proven by the following extract
rom Il letter of Admiral Seymour to the
Ame ricun naval officer at Tlku. which
is made Il part Of the secretary's report:
II cannot conclude my letter without
expressing to you. sir, the high admira-
ton ! have for Capt. B. III. McCalla, who
accompanied us in command of your off,
| GERS and men. Their post was usually in
| the advanced guard where their zeal and
go was praised by all regret to state
thai Capt. McCalla was wounded in three
places. but considering the gallant way
in which he exposed himself ! am only
equally surprised and thankful that he
| IS alive"
IN thn at f.i, in,
winch we had 90 officers and S2G men en-
5ised under Col. II. l.. Mead. of the ma
| The corps, Secretary Long says:
TO record the instances Of gallantry
displayed by our officers and men at the
capture of Tientsin would almost be
equivalent to a publication of the entire
roster"
The report says the navy on the Asiattc
station has cooperatcd with the army in
the Philippines. transporting and convoy
ing troops. patrolling a wide area of
badly chartcd waters. sending out land
ing 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 off Illicit trade with and among
the islands
OF the recommendations probably the
most important are those relating to an
increase in the personnel of the navy and
for additional ships. OF the former, after
referring to the steady increase in the
demand for officers for sea duty, the Sec
retary says:
This need will be still greater when
vessels authorized or building are COM
pleted and ready for commission. The
report Of the bureau of navigation repre-
sents that ii would be impossible at the
, present time to man our available fleet
were an emergency TO occur demanding
such action. Attention is earnestly in
vited 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"
OF the increase in ships the general
board, of which Admiral Dewey is pres
ident. could not agree. but from their
various recommendations Secretary Long
selects the following as especially nccded:
| 1.-Two battlcShinS and two HrmOrcd
cruisers, all Of the maximum diSplace-
| ment specified: that at least six light
draft gunboats and some small craft for
river service are especially desirable in
connection with our insular service, and
that the colliers. training ships. trans
port and repair ship are the necessary ac-
compartment of the general recent in
crease of the navy, both in its fighting
force and in the enlarged range of it's
operations
he report praises tue NAVAL ml'llla or
the various states, but recommends a
form Of national naval reserve to be un-
der the control and support of the ma
tional government.
Other recommendations are for such
legislation will give to naval officers
serving. on shore duty in our island pos
sessions the same increase in pay as is
granted officers of the army: a decrease
in the term of enlistment in the marine
| corps from five to four years, and the
consolidation of the navy departments
of construction and repair and steam en-
gineer:ng and equipment.
The report closes with the following
tribute to the officers and men Of the
| navy:
'''rhere is no finer type of the public
servant trained to high sense of his Off
cial obligations. and no hand in which
the honor of his country and the rights of
its citizens are safer, than are to be
found in the navy OF the United States"
Charged with Murder.
Minneapolis, Mimi. Nov 2G.-Frank
II. Hamilton. a Minneapolis newspa-
per man, is prisoner at the Central
police station with the charge of muir
der against him as the result of the