The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-04

petent enemy unless those aboard it
have been trained by years of actual
sea service. including incessant gun
merry practice, would be to invite not
merely disaster, but the bitterest shame
and humiliation. Four thousand addi-
tional seamen and one thousand addi-
tional marines should be provided;
and an increase in the officers should
be provided by making a large addi-
ton to the classes at Annapolis There
is one small matter which should be
mentioned in connection with Annapo-
lis. The pretentious and unmeaning
title of naval cadet" should be abOl-
ished the title of 'midshipman," full
of historic association should be re.
stored.
Even in time of peace a
warship should be used until
II wears out, for only so
can it be kept fit to respond to any
emergency, The officers and men Allie
should he kept as much as possible on
blue water, for it is there only they
can leNrn their duties as they ,hould
be learned. The big vessels should be
unanswered in squadrons containing
not merely Nbattleships, but the neces-
sary proportion of cruisers and scouts.
The torpedo boats should be hardled
by the younger officers in such man
ler as will best fit the latter to take
responsibility and meet the emergen-
cies CT actual warfare.
Every detail ashore which can be
performed Ly a civilian should be so
performed, thu officer being kept for
his special duty in the sea service.
Above all. gunnery practice should be
unceasing. 1t is important to have our
navy of adequate size, but 1t is even
more important that ship for ship it
should equal in efficiency any navy in
the world. This is possible only with
highly drilled crews and officers, and
this in turn iinperatively demands con-
tinuous and progressive instruction in
target practice, shiphandling. squadron
tactics and general discipline. Our
ships must be assembled in squadrons
actively cruising away from harpors
and never long at anchor. The re-
sulting wear upon engines and hulls
must be endured; batt,eship worn
out in lcng training of officers and
men is weft paid for by the results,
while. on the other hand. no matter
in how excellent condition, it is use
less If the crew be not expert.
We now have seventeen battleships
appropriated for, of which nine are
completed and have been commissioned
for actual service. the remaining
eight will be ready in from two to
four years, but it will take Mt least
that time to recruit and train the men
to fight them. 1t is of vas- concern
that we have trained crews ready for
'he vessels by the time they are COM
missioned. Good ships and good guns
are simply good weapons, and the best
weapns are useless save in the hands
of men who know how to fight with
them. The men must be trained and
drilled under thorough and we'll
planned system of progressive instiIIc
ton, while the recruiting must be car
ried on with still greater visor.
Every effort must be made TO
eXalt the main function of the
oficer-thc command of men. The
leading graduates of the Naval Acad-
envy should be assigned to the com
Blatant branches, the line and marines
Many of the essentials of success are
already reconized by the general board,
which, as the central office of a grow
ing staff, is moving steadily toward D
proper war efficiency and a proper eff
cheney of the whole navy, under the
Secretary. This general board, by fos-
tering the creation of a general staff,
| is providing for the official and then
| the general recognition of our altered
! conditions as a nation and of the true
meaning of a great war fleet, which
meaning is, first, the best men, and,
second, the best ships.
The naval militia forces are state
organizations, and are trained for coast
service, and in event of war they will
constitute the inner line of defense.
| They should receive hearty encour-
! agement from the general government.
| Bot in addition we should at once
provide for national naval reserve,
| organized and trained under the di-
rection of the Navy Department, and
subject to the call of the chief execu-
| tive whenever war becomes imminent.
1t should be a real auxiliary to the
naval seagoing peace establishment.
and offer material to be drawn on at
once for manning our ships in time Of
war. 1t should be composed of gradu-
ates of the Naval Academy, graduates
of the naval militia, officers and crews
of coast-lne steamers, longshore
schooners. fishing vessels and steam
yachts, together with the coast popu-
lation about such centers as life-sav-
ing stations and lighthouses.
The American people must either
build and maintain an adequate navy
or else make up their minds definite
ly to accept a secondary position in
international affairs, not merely in po-
litical. but in commercial, matters. 1t
has been well said that there is no
surer way of counting national disaster
than to be "opulent, aggressive and
unarmed."
The Army Increase Not Needed.
1t is not necessary to increase our
army beyond its present size at this
time. But II is necessary to keep it
at the highest point of efficiency. The
individual units who as officers and
enlisted men compose this army, are,
we have good reason to believe, at
least as efficient as those of any other
army in the entire world. 1t is our
duty to see that their training is of
kind to insure the highest possible
expression of power to these units
when acting in combination.
The conditions of modern war are
such as to make an Infinitely heavier
demand that ever before upon the in
dividual character and capacity
Of the officer and the enlisted
man, and to make il Gar more
difficult for men to act together with
effect. At present the fighting must
be done i'm extended order, which
means. that each man must act for him
self and at the same time act In combi-
nation with others with whom he is
no longer In the old-fashioned elbow
to-elbow touch. Under such conditions
few men of the highest excellence
are worth more than many men with.
out the special skill which Is only
found rs the result Of special train
apnIfod IN nf al