Evening star., 1900-11-27

marine CORPS for war service shall not in
| terfere with the regular promotion of those
| otherwise entitled thereto. The other to
which attention is particularly invited is
the bill (H. r. 1S423 to provide rewards
| for officers and men OF the navy and marine
| corps. This bill authorizes the Secretary
| of the Navy to cause to be prepared for be-
| stowal upon officers and men deserving or
| special recognition certain medals of three
| classes
| This bill provides a system of appropri-
! ate inexpensive and satisfactory rewards,
capable of prompt bestowal, doing Justice
to special merit and working no injustice
to anybody. Such medals could be worn
upon all occasions of ceremony during the
/ life of the recipient, and transmitted as a
priced heirloom to his descendants. A fea-
| ture of this system which particularly COM
mends it is the fact that 1t is applicable to
non-commissioned officers, enlisted men and
| privates well AS to commissioned ofhcers
| The present system provides no satisfactory
method of rewarding enlisted men and ma
| rineS.
| 1T is recommended that if Congress
| should deem it wise to enact this measure
or some other of an appropriate character.
! it be made so far retroactive, provided
| by section of the bill Oh. r. 12042) last re-
| ferred to. to confer its benefits upon offi-
| GERS and men of the navy deserving there
of for exceptional zeal. fidelity and capacity
| or for conspicuous courage In the presence
of the enemy during the recent Spanish war,
but who yet remain without substantial
recognition or reward.
Inc DaSlOWdl Oh lHSSe special re" IL
! urged because it is appropriate and just
that they should be given, and rot from the
fear that duty will not be well done with
out them The fact that the nations ac-
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 devotion to duty.
THE past year has been so prolific of
such examples that, while the enumeration
of them in detail is here impracticable, The
department calls special attention to the
official reports in which they appear. They
are found in every line of the naval service,
not only in battle. which makes service con-
spicuous, but on the voyage in watches
along the coast. ir expeditions to distant
islands. in the trying responsibilities of COM
mand often unaided and alone. in the un-
martial work of transportation, in hospital
and on station. in surveys and soundings, in
instruction and discipline, in the !nestmably
Taiuab BILE preparatory work of the bureaus
and navy yards. ard in all the shifting
rioty of eXaCtine duties in which service, If
not conspicuous, is none the less deserving
and is rendered with zeal, loyalty. and
ability as heroic in the homely routine of
commonplace as when exhibited the
field of glory. There is no finer type of
| the public servant trained to high sense of
| his official obligations. and no hand III
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
The Secretary commends to The favorable
action of Congress the proposition for the
erection Of a statue to the late Admiral
David d. Porter.
The Navy In the Far East.
Mr.. Long speaks proudly of the operations
of the fleet on the Iisiatc station, where it
| has co-operated with the army in the Phil
! ippiEes He says the cordiality which has
| characterized the relations of the army and
navy is alike creditabe to both branches of
| the service. He dwells at some length on
| the dramatic incidents of the Chinese out
break, in which the United States marines,
under Capt. Myers took conspicuous part
by their heroic defense of the American le-
cation at Pekin and by their cooperation
III the advance on Ten Tsin. OF the part
borne in this hazardous expedition by the
American sailors, honorable mention is
made and Mr.. Long quotes with satisfac-
tior the high encomiums which the British
admiral bestowed Capt. McCalla and
the Amo~can forces with him. The pru-
dence and efficiency of Admirals Remey and
Kenpff, who in Chinese waters, is
highly commended by the Secretary.
The efforts of the department to secure
armor for vessels is reviewed, and the Sec
retary recites the facts of the recent sue
cessful closing of the matter en- basis of
Si2n per ton for krupp armor Of the first
class. with royalty fees, making the maxi
mum price s4,o.:'2.
The Secretary says dry dock, capable of
accommodating the largest vessels, is need
ed IN tfe fDllpplne 1SldnuS. L lie eA-
| perience of the Oregon in having to be
| dCcked in Japan made this plain, and the
| department has accordingly appointed a
| beard to select a site for naval station
| and dry dock in the Philippines.
| The benefits OF the state naval militia
are set forth. and it is urged that in addi-
tior the immediate attention of Congress
should be given to the organization OF a
naval reserve. which shall be under the
cali and general direction of the Navy De-
partment.
Transpacifc Cable.
The Secretary refers to the discovery of
a satisfactory route for an all-American
cable connecting the Pacific coast with the
outlying islands in the possession Of the
| United States In the Pacific, the reports of
| naval survey showing that such a route ex
| lists.
| Among the interesting discoveries made
| ir. the course of this survey was that of
an ocea abyss, the deepest known, which
was found TO the eastward of the islands
| of the I.adrone group, and near the parallel
! of Guam. Here were made the deepest
| ocean soundings ever recorded, the greatest
| depth reached being 800 fathoms, or 66
| feet less than 6 statute miles.
The department has improved existing
! coaling facilities and is gradually accumu-
| lating a sufficient supply of coal for our
| fleets at home and abroad under all condi-
| tons. Mr.. Long renews his recommended
1
| struction and repair, steam engineering
! and equipment be consolidated in one bu-
| reau, to be known as "the bureau of ships,
| thus overcoming the cumbrous machinery
| of the present divided system and the con-
| troversies ii tends to develop.
| It is recommended that the term of en-
! liStment in the marine corps be reduced
! from five to four years, so to correspond
! with the term of enlistment of seamen.
| Another recommendation is for a small in
crease In the corps of naval constructors
/ and also in that of civil engineers. 1t is
| also recommended that naval and marine
| officers serving in Porto Rico, the Ha-
waiian Islands. Guam and the Philippines
receive the full pay provided for officers de-
! tailed for shore duty beyond sea, and also
that full pay be given officers and men
of the marine corps sent to China and
| Guam.
Hall of Records.
A strong appeal Is made for the construc
tion in this city Of hall of public records.
THE Navy Department. says Secretary
Long ''in common with other departments,
suffers Inconvenience from the accumula-
tion of public records. In consequence Of
its growth during recent years the Office