Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-04

| to do their duly. o,o A.
Our present navy was begun IN Ieo-. ~
that period our navy consisted OF 1oe ,,,
ton OF antiauated wooden ships a'reauy
almost as out Of place against niooe'I n
war vessels as the gallcys OF AiIio
and Hamilcar. certainly as the SHIPS y, !,
| Tromp and Blake. Nor at that tiihe u'u
we have men fit to handle n modern man an,
of-war. Under the wise legislation OF uns
| congress and the successful adminlstra-
| tion OF a succession OF patriotic secI. ,,.,
ries OF the navy belonging to botn Pon,'-
cal parties the work OF upbuildihs u'e
| navy went on and ships equal 10 any :"
| the world OF their kind were continually
| added, and, what was even more IihPor-
| tant, these ships were exercised AT sea
| singly and in squadrons until tho men
| aboard them were able TO get the pest
possible service out Of them. The result
| was seen in the short war with Spaih'
which was decided with such rapidly De
cause OF the Infinitely greater prepared
| ness OF our navy than Of the Spanish
! navy.
The Part Played by COngress.-j
| While awarding the fullest honor to the
! men who actually commanded and man
| ned the ships which destroyed the Span
ish sea forces in the Philippines ana IN
| Cuba, we must not forget than an equai
| need of praise belongs to those without
whom neither blow could have been
\ struck. The congressman who voted for
| years in advance the money TO lay down
| the ships. 10 build the guns, TO buy th'
| armor plate. the department officials ana
| the business men and wageworkers VINO
| furnished what the congress had author
| ized. the secretaries Of the navy VINO
| asked for and expended the appropria-
| tions and finally the officers who in fa'r
| weather and foul on actual sea service
! trained and disciplined the crews uf the
| ships when there was no war in sight-au
| are entitled 10 a fun share in the glory of
! Manila and Santiago and the respect ac-
| corded by every true American TO those
! who wrought such signal triumph for oar
| country. it was forethought and prepari-
tiou which secured us the Overwhelming
triumph OF 1893. if We fan to show forr-
thought and preparation now, there may
come 4 time VIXEN disa ster viii hefal ~
instead OF triumph. and should this Time
come the faGlt Will rest primarily not
upon those whom the accident OF events
puts la supreme command at the moment.
but upon those who have failed TO prepare
! in advance.
There should be no cessation IA tho
work of completing our navy. So far IN
geuuIty has been wholly uns bie TO devise
Il substitute for the great war craft whose
I hainmering guns beat out the mastery ~
jh. high seas il is unsafe and uuwise not
to provide this year for several additional
battl.ships and heavy armorel cruisers,
with auxiliary ard lighter craft in pru-
port ion. For the exact numbers and char
act"v refer you 10 the report OF The Serir-
tary of the navy. But there ~ sonnet hiuf;
We need even more than additional ships.
ana this is additional officers md men. To
provide batiicships and cruisers and then
lay Them up. with The expectation OF lrstr-
iu. them unnamed until they are needed
ia actual war would be worse than folly.
1t would be crime against the nation.
More Men Required.
To send any warship against compe-
tent enemy unless those aboard il have
been trained by years OF actual sea SER
ice. including inccssant gunnery practice.
would he 10 invite not merely disaster.
but the bittercst shame and humiliation.
Four thousand additional seamcu and 4
thousand additional marines should be
provided. and an increa Sc IN the officers
should he provided by making n large ad
dition 10 the classes at Annapolis There
is one small matter which should be men
toned in connection with Annapolis. Tho
pretentious and unmeaning title OF naval
cadet should be abolished; the title OF
"inidshipman" :ull OF historic associI-
ton. should be restored.
Even IN time OF peace Il warship should
he used until il wears out. FOR only SO can
1t be Kept IT 10 respond TO any cmergcn-
Cy. The officers and men alike should be-
kept much possible on blue water.
FOR II is there only they can learn their
duties as they should he learned. The bii;
vessels should be maneuvered in squad
rons containing not merely battleshiFs
but the necessary proportion OF cruisers
and scouts. The torpedo boats should be-
handled by the younger officers in such
manner will best fit the latter TO take
responsibility and meet the emergencies
OF actual warfare.
Every detail ashore which can be per-
formed by civilian should be so per-
formed. the officer being kept for his spe-
cial duty in the sea service. Above all
gunnery practice should be unceasing. II
is important to have our navy OF ade-
quate size. but ii is even more impor-
tant that. ship for ship. IL should equal
in efficiency any navy in the world
This is possible only with highly drilled
crews and officers. and this in turn i'm
peratively demands continuous and pro-
gressive instruction in target practice
ship handling. squadron tactics and gem
eral discipline. Our ships must be assem-
bled in squadrons actively cruising away |
from harbors and never long at anchor. |
The resulting wear upon engines and |
hulls must be endured. a battleshp worn !
out in long training of officers and men is /
well paid for BY the results. while. on the !
other hand. no matter in how excellent |
condition il is useless sf the crew be not |
expert
The Necessity of Drill.
We now have seventeen battleships ap-
propriatcd for. Of which nine are complet- |
ed and have 5ccn commissioned for actual |
service The remaining eight will he ready |
in 'front.' two TO four years. but 1t will I
take at least that time TO recruit and {
train the men TO fight them. 1t IS OF vast /
concern that We have trained crews ready |
for the vessels by the time they are com \
nissioned. Good ships ami good guns are |
simply good weapons and the best weap- /
ons are useless save in the hands OF men I
vino know how to fight with them. The /
men must be trained and drilled under u I,
thorough and well planned system OF pro- |
gressiVe instruction. while the recruiting !
must be carried Oh with still greater Wig |
or. Every effort must be made to exalt |
the main function OF the offlcer-the COM !
mand OF men. The leading graduates or \
The Naval academy should be assigned 10 I
the combs taut branches the line and ma
rines.
Many Of the essentials of success are al ,
ready recognized by the general board |
which as the central Office of a growing /
STAFF, Is moving steadily toward a proper /
war efficiency and a proper efficiency OF !
The whole navy under the secretary This !