Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-11-15
OUR CRIPPLED NAVY.
Urgent Need For More O@-
GERS and Men.
LASrCOgCRESS SEyERELYCRITICISED
chief Cr0wninshield of the Naviga.
tion Bureau In His Annual Re-
port Makes Some Star.
Ting Statements.

~ tling Statements.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 12.-The star
fling statement is made In the reports aof
Admiral Crowninshield. chief Of the nav
igation bureau, that the present per-
sonnei Of the navy would form barely
one.fodrth OF the total establishment
necessary to fight first class Euro
pean power. 1t barely suf11ced for the
Spanish.American war and no longer
Gao be considered, the report says, as an
effective nucleus about which q larger
establishment could be formed IN case
Of war.
The admiral regards this need Of the
navy for officers and men as most urgent.
He says that the bureau can point to
many cases where the service is being
harmed By lack Of officers. The Naval
academy is suffering for want OF IN.
struetora. and the present high standard
q training cannot be maintained. Ev-
cry bdreau In the department is short,of
officers, and the service, the report pre-
diets. soon will fall behind in the strug-
gle, FIRST for leadership and then for
equality. with the other services. The
disa ability Of the seagoing corps ofhcerS
has greatly increased since the Spanish
war, and many Of the best officers are
being lost as a result of breaking down
from overwork.
The admiral severely criticises the in
effective effort Of congress at the last
session to mee< immediate needs for offi-
eers BY authorizing the employment Of
retired officers, and he demands the i'm
mediate repeal Of that act. He claims
that the retired list. intended as Q re-
ward for faithful service, otherwise be-
comes hardship and punishment. The
personnel act thus fur has resulted In
aff9rdins less officers than were on the
active list before its passage, as. while
authorizing an increase, it failed to pro-
vide the means therefor, 80 there are
now 131 vacancies in the list Of naval
officers when vacancies can be least at
forded. Therefore 1t Is recommended that
for the next ten years appointments to
the Naval academy be doubled, the pres
idept and representatives in congress ap-
pointing two instead of one wherever
authorized now and in addition senators
being given the same privilege Of ap-
pointment as representatives. Then, to
meet future needs, it Is recommended
that whenever congress authorizes an
increase OF vessels to the navy it also
provide In the same act for an increase Of
officers and mep to man the ships. The
report says that England, which this
year lays down Is war vessels, voted 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 16 years, has pro-
vided In the same programme for In
creasing personnel by SO officers and
1857 men each year until the total in
crease reaches 1851.
Il Is declared that il is now impossible
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 personnel Immediately available.
There were 2,452 desertions from the
navy and SO deaths during the past fiscal
year. The euiistments number g. 123 from
total number Of applicants Of 4OS54.
Over 50 per cent OF the men In the navy
aFe native born, 10 per cent are natural
lied, and 0 per cent have declared in
tentions- Ninety-two per cent of the
Rndsmen now under training are native
born.
a mild reproOf upon congress is con-
tained IN the closing paragraph OF the re-
port, which calls attention to the dis
couraging condition In which distinguish
ed officers Of the navy have been left by
not receiving any formal recognition for
their heroic services during the war with
Spain. The report says that the navy
had no part in the unfortunate public
controversy which followed upon the
presidents recommendation that certain
officers should DO promoted and adds that
thus far there has been no recognition by
congress except Of those who shared in
the victory at Manila and three who
served elsewhere In the war.