Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-12-03

lied. the secretaries or the navy who
asked for and expended the a~ppropria-
tons and finally the officers who In fair
weather and foul on actual sea service
trained ana disciplined the crews of the
ships when there was no war TN sight-ali
are entitled to a fun share In the sglory8of
Manila and Santa go and the#respeet acS
corded by every true Amerfcansto those
who wrought such signal triumph for our
countrys5It5 was forethought and prepare
ton which secured us the overwhelming
triumph OF 1898. If we fail to show fore
thought and preparation now there may
come a time when disaster will befaIl us
instead of triumph, and should this time
come the fault will rest primarily not
upon those whom the accident of events
puts in supreme command at the moment.
but upon those who a " failed to prepare
In advance. IT, Z As 84a
There should be no cessation in the
work of completing our navy$sSo far in-
genuity has been wholly unable to devise
a substitute for the great war craft whose
hamnaering guns beat out the mastery of
the high seas. 1t is unsafe and unwfse not
to provide this year for several additional
battleships and heavy armored cruisers,
with auxiliary and lighter craft In pro-
portion. For the exact numbers and char
acter I refer you to the report of the secre-$
tary of the navy But there is something
we need even more than additional Ships
and this is additional officers and men.%To
provide battleships and cruisers and then
lay them up with the expectation of ieav-%
ing them unnamed until they are needed
in actual war. would be worse than folly. Y
II would be a crime against the nation
More Men Required.
To send any warship against azcompe-
tent enemy unless those aboard 1T nave
been trained by years of actual sea serv-
Ace, including incessant gunnery practice, 2
would be to invite not merely disaster,
but the bitterest shame and humiliation. Z
-Four thousand additional seamen and a..
thousand additional marines should be
provided. and an increase in the officers
should be provided by making a large adj
dition to the classes at Annapolis. There
is one small matter which should be men-
toned in connection with Annapolis. The
pretentious and unmeaning title of "navai
cadet should be abolished: the title. of
"midshipman." full of historic associa-
ton, should be restored.
Even in time of peace a warship should
be used until it wears out. for only so can
1t be kept fit to respond to any emergen-
cy. The officers and men alike should be
kept as much as possible on blue water,
for it is there only they can learn their
duties as they should be learned. The big
vessels should be Unanswered in squad.
rons containing not merely battleShips,
but the necessary proportion of cruisers
and scouts. The torpedo boats should be
handled by the younger officers in such
manner as will best fit the latter to take
responsibility and meet the emergencies
of actual warfare.
Every detail ashore which can be per-
formed by a 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. It
Is important to have our navy of ade-
quate size, but 1t is even more impor-
tant 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 I'M
peratively demands continuous and pro-
gressive instruction in target practice,
ship handling. squadron tactics and gen
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
hulis must be endured. A battleship worn
out in long training of officers and men is
we'll paid for by the results. while. on the
other hand. no matter in how excellent
condition it is useless If the crew be not
expert.
The Necessity of Drill.
We now have seventeen b"attleships ap-
propriated for. of which nine are complet-
ed and nave been commissioned for actual
service. The remaining eight will be ready
In from two to four years. but it will
take at least that time to recruit and
train the men to fight them. 1t is of vast.
Colicein tIal we nave trained crews ready
for the vessels by the time they are COM
missioned. Good ships and good guns are
simply good weapons, and the best weap-
ons are useless save in the hands of men
who know how to fight with them. The
men must be trained and drilled under a
thorough and well planned system of pro-
gressive instruction. while the recruiting
must be carried on with still greater Wig
or. Every effort must be made to exalt
the main function of the officer-the COM
mand Of men. The leading graduates of
the Naval academy should be assigned to
the cOmbatant branches, the line and ma!
rines.
Many of the essentials of success are all
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
general board. by fostering the creation of.
a general staff. is providing for the off,!
cial 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 s+o+o ~
CARNATIONS and are trained for coast serv-
ice. anu in event of war hey will consti-
tute the inner line of defense. They
should receive hearty encouragement from
the general government.
But, In addition. We should at once pro.
vide for a national naval reserve organ-
lied and trained under the direction of
the navy department and subject to the
call of the chief executive whenever war
becomes imminent. 1t should be a real
auxiliary to the naval seagoing peace es-
tablishment and offer material to be
drawn on at once for manning our ships
In time Of war. 1t should be composed OF
graduates of the Naval academy. gradu-
ates of the naval militia, officers and
crews of coast line mers. longshore
schooners. fishing vessels and steam
yachts. together with the coast popula-
ton about such centers as life saving
stations and lighthouses.
The American people must either build
and maintain an adequate navy or else
make up their minds definitely to accent
a secondary position in international af-
talrs. not merely in political but in COM
mercia1 matters. 1t has been well said
that there is no surer way of counting ma
tional disaster than to be '.opuleut- ap-
gressive and unar1ned."
The Army.
1t is not necessary to increase our army
10 1fc ncN