Waterbury Democrat., 1902-11-10
MENTOR WARSHIPS
Admiral Taylor Says That is
 What is Wanted
GOOD AND EFFICIENT OFFICERS

Recent Maneuvers Have Brought This
 Fact Out Very Forcibly Considering
 the Number That Will Graduate the
 Next Four Years the Admiral Says
 We Will Be Short More Than 1000
 Men.
 Washington, Nov 10.-The most cry- ing need of the navy, according to the annual report of Admiral H. 0. Taylor, chief of the bureau of navigation, is that of more officers to man our war ships. He declares that the prepara- tions now going on for the mobilization of the fleet for the winter maneuvers in the West Indies has brought the de- partment face to face with the critical condition due to lack of officers, which, he says, has reached such point as to be dangerous to the efficiency of the fleet. He says that the number of off, cers on our ships is less than the num- Der on board the ships of other navies, although, as a matter of fact. our ships require more officers than the ships of other navies because we are compelled to man our vessels with green crews, having little or no knowledge of sea life
 The graduates from the naval acad- emy during the next four years will be 355, leaving total deficit of officers July l, 1906. of 1,O05, taking into con- sideration the new ships to be built, and not counting officers for auxiliaries who would be required in the event of hostilities. Admiral Taylor recom- mends further increase of one mid shipman for each member of the house, each senator, one from the District of Columbia and ten annually at large
 A concentration of the naval force in two big fighting squadrons in the North Atlantic and Asratic waters is recommended. For the present. .ne report says. two squadrons are all that the present number of our battleships will permit. To carry out this policy Admiral Taylor proposes to transfer the battleships in the remaining squad rons to one or the other of these heavy squadrons and compose the Pacific. Eu- ronaan and south Atlantic squadrons entirely of cruisers. These changes will be undertaken as soon as the win ter maneuvers in the West Indies are concluded After the re-arrangement the distribution of the fighting force of the navy will be as follows:
 North Atlantic station, Kearsarge. Alabama. Massachusetts. Indiana. Maine, Illinois, Iowa and Texas. This force should be in the future main tained at not less than eight battle ships
 Caribbean division of North Atlantic squadron. Olympia. Montgomery, Mari etta. Machias. Panther and Detroit.
 Asiatic station, Kentucky. Oregon, Wisconsin, Monadnock and Monterey. The battleships in this squadron are to be increased to the number of six as soon as vessels of this class are com missioned
 The cruiser division of Asiatic sta- tion. New Orleans. Yorktown Whining ton, Helena. Vicksburg, Princeton. An napolis. Don Juan de Austria and Isle de Cuba. The Rainbow and a large gunboat division will, as heretofore, be attached to the squadron for ser vice among the islands and the rivers.
 Pacific station, New York, Philadel- phia. Boston. Marblehead and Bangor.
 European station Brooklyn. Chicago, San Francisco and Albany
 South Atlantic station, Newark, At lanta and Nashville.
 1t is also proposed to form additional torpedo boat fotillas with destroyer as the leading vessel, after the plan of the present group now in the West Indies under command of Lieutenant Chandler.
 The proposed concentration of the naval forces. Admiral Taylor says. makes it desirable to have an officer of high rank ill command of each of the great heavy fleets. and he recom- mends for these two commands that congress authorize the creation of two vice-admirals. or as an alternative that it sanction the appointment of two act ing vice-admirals.
 Admiral Taylor also urgently rec- ommends further congressional action for the establishment of a general staff to control and administer the affairs of the fleet. The recommendations arc concerning the national naval. reserve
 Much space is devoted in the report to the necessity for gunnery training. Attention is called in detail to the op- erations of the fleets and the work of oru naval officers and men in the wa ters of the Philippines and of the West Indies is high1y commended To the close blockade established by the navy in the Island of Samar he says the de- feat of Lukban. the insurgent leader. is largely attributable.