Waterbury Democrat., 1901-11-16
MORE SHIPS AND MEN.
Keynote of Secretary Cages Report is
 .Increase.'

WASHINGTON Nov. 16.--The key. note of the annual report of Secretary Long for 1901 is '.increase''--an in- crease i'll both the number of ships and the number of officers and sailors for tho navy.
 The navy today" he says, lis far greater factor ill our relations with the world than it was before the recent national expansion which now includes Porto Rico, the Hawaiian Islands the vast area of land and sea in the Phil ippines and our obligations to Cuba. If we are to have navy at all, it must be commensurate with these great ex- tensions-grea in international even than territorial importance" The sec retary's recommendation for new con- struction, based on the report of the general board, headed by Admiral Dewey, and that of the board of con- struction, is as follows:
 Three first class battleships, two first class armored cruisers, three gun boats, each of about 1000 tons trial displacement; three gunboats, each of about 200 tons trial displacement, for insular service; three picket boats, each of about $50 tons trial displace- ment; three steel sailing training ships, each of about 2,000 tons trial displace- ment; one collier of about 15,000 tons trial displacement and four tugboats.
 All the vessels recommended in these two reports. says Secretary Long. are desirable in the prospective and har- monious development of our naval force, and a larger increase this year than usual is desirable because none
 was made last year. He, however.
 found that some of the vessels recom- mended could better be omitted from
 his list than others and await appro-
 priation hereafter.
 The secretary places emphasis upon
 the necessity for more line officers and
 more enlisted men. He recommends that the number of lieutenants be in-
 creased from 300 to $50 and that the limit of the number of junior lieuten-
 ants and ensigns be placed at 600. As 1 to the enlisted men he recommends that
 that force be increased by 5000 men. Tables are submitted showing that i'll l the number of commissioned officers | of the executive branch and in the to- tai strength of all ranks and ratings the United States navy is in the rear l of that of England, France, Germany l Russia, Japan and Italy and that the 1 proportionate increase in our navys
 personnel has for six years been away | behind the pace set by the nations men toned. Secretary Long directs atten- l ton to Germany's law which increases her personnel along with her shipbuild- ing and which by an average annual in- crease of 1902 officers and men will give the Germany navy in 1920 total personnel of 59,40S
 | Another pressing need set out in the 1 secretary's report is that for national naval reserve, which was so strongly 1 advocated by President Roosevelt when 1 he was assistant secretary of the navy. l In connection with the subject of
 naval personnel Secretary Long makes
 number of important recommends lions as follows: The revival of the l grade of vice admiral, an increase of l 50 per cent in the number of cadets at l the Naval academy, an increase of the marine corps by 750 men, an increase l in the corps of naval constructors and l of civil engineers and no further ap-
 pointments to the office of professor of
 mathematics.
 l One of the most important recom- mendations in this respect is that off l cerS of the navy be retired with the rank and three-fourths the sea pay of l the grade held at the time of retire ment instead of the next higher grade,
 IS at present. The secretary points
 out that much needed officers are now
 offered a premium to go on the ratired l cf