The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-11-29
OUR GROWING NAVY.
Secretary Longs Annual Re.
port Made Public.
OPERATIONS OF ASIATIC SQUADRON.
Great Praise For Marines at Pelinp
and Ticn-tsin--Conp of Ncs-
sells Under Construction VIII
Require Much Lnrgcr Force.


nj 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.
"Thc fleet on the Asiatic station has co.
operated with the army in the Philip.
pines, transporting and conveying troops,
Patrolling n wide area of badly chart.
ed 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 off 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.
I'm view of the disturbed conditions in
Asiatic waters and Of the demands upon
the navy the department early in the
year deemed it cXpcdicnt to augment the
force in that quarter. The commander
in chief of the Asatc station. Rear Ad.
iniral Rcmey, was accordingly given an
assistant Rear Admiral kempff. TO in.
sure under command of an officer of rank
and experience division of the fleet if
necessary in quarters distant from the
Philippines. Almost Immediately there
after circumstances made il necessary to
maintain separate force in Chinese wa
ters, and the junior rear admiral was or
dered to proceed with a 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 force of marines for the protcc-
tion of the United States legation.
The annals of history present few ex-
amples of more dramatic interest than
the story of the beleaguercd legations in
Peking. from June 20, 1900. the date on
which the German minister was killed
and the siege began, until Aug. Il. when
the allied forces entered the Chinese capi-
tai. Official 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-
fense 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-
ment Immediately occupied position on
the city WALL strategic point of great
Importance; established an improvised
sandbag fort there, which enabled them
to defend the section of wall Immediate
~ commanding the legations, and, al
though repeatedly attacked by over
whelming numbers and on two occasions
driven for few minutes from the wall,
hnx Al. n.
but held this vital position until relief
came.
''In the meantime the foreign settle
ment in Tien-tsin itself was subjected
to attack, and communication between
that city and Taku was interrupted On
the 18th of June detachment of s off
GERS and 49, enlisted men, chiefly from
the first regiment of marines dispatched
from Cavite by the Newark and Nash
vile, arrived at Taku. Instructions were
Immediately 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 galantry
displayed by our officers and men at the
capture of Tien-tsn would almost be
equivalent to Il 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 is
steadily growing, and ut times the de-
partment is seriously embarrassed by lack
of necessary officers to properly man YES
sells required for immediate si/<re.
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 rep
resents that it would be impossible ut the
present time to man our available heet
were an emergency to occur demanding
such action AttentitVis 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 i'll the enlisted force of not less
than 1000 men.
y list is given of the "A vessels large
and small, nov 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
uTBeu DecHuse III is appropriate ana Just
that they should be given, and not from
the fear that duty will not be well done
without 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 devotion to duty.
THE past year has been so prolific of
such examples that, while the enumera-
tion of them in detail is here impractica-
BILE, the department calls special atten-
tion 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 conspicuous, but
on the voyage, in watches along the coast,
in expeditions to distant islands, in the
trying responsibilities of command, often
unaided and alone, in the unmartial work
of transportation, in hospital and on lta-
tion, in surveys and soundings, ip in
struction and discipline, in the inestima-
bly, valuable preparatory work of the bu-
faus and navy Yards and in all thp