The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-02
THE NAVY

Inc HrSC time IN our history naval
maneuvers. on a large scale are being held
under the immediate command Of the adj
mirai Of the navy. Constantly increasing
attention Is being paid to the gunnery of
the navy, but it is yet far from what it
should BEL earnestly urge that the in
crease asked for by the secretary of the
navy In the. appropria ton for improving
the Workmanship be granted. In battle
the only shots that count are the shots
that HIT 1t is necessary to provide ample
funds for practice with the great guns in
time Of peace. These funds must pro-
vide not only for. the purchase Of projec-
tiles, but for allowances for prizes to en-
courage the. gun crews, and especially the
gun pointers, and for perfecting an intel
igenti system under which alone it is
possible to get good practice. = d..
There should be no halt, in the work of
building up the navy, providing every year
additional fighting craft. We are a very
rich country, vast in extent of territory
and great in population; country, more
over, which has an army diminutive in
deed when compared with that OF any
other frst-ciass power. We have DELHI
erately made our own certain foreign poll
cIes which demand the possession of
.fIrst.ciass navy. The isthmian canal will
greatly increase the efficiency Of our navy
II the navy is of sufficient size; but if we
have an Inadequate navy, then the build
ing Of the canal would be merely giving
hostage to any power of superior
strength. The Monroe doctrine should be
treated as the cardinal feature of Ameri-
can foreign policy: but it would be worse
than idle to assert it unless we intended
to back 1t up, and it can be backed up
only by a thoroughly good navy. A good
navy is not a provocative OF war;, It is
the surest guaranty of peace. 3. r.. -. p.
MANNING THE SHIPS. -::'s@ -s>--- .
Each individual unit of our navy should
be the most efficient Of its kind as re-
is to be found in the world. I call you
special attention to the need Of providing
for the manning of the ships Serious
trouble threatens us If we cannot do bet
ter than we are now doing as regards. Sc
curing the services Of a sufficient num-
Der of the highest type of saIlornen, Of
sea mechanics. The veteran seamen Of
our. war ships are. of as high type as
can be found. in any navy which rides the
waters of the world; they are unsurpassed
in daring, in resolution, in readiness, in
thorough knowledge Of their profession.
They deserve every consideration that can
be shown them. :. But there are not enough
Of them. It is no more possible to i'm
provise a crew than it is possible to i'm
proVise a war ship: To build the finest
ship, with the deadliest battery, and to
send 1t af1oat with a raw crew, no matter
how brave they were individually, would be
to insure disaster il foe of average ca
pac1ty.> were encountered. Neither ships
nor men can be improvised when war has
begun. ~ IT. 4. ~-.~..+ t,s5 -,
A SCARCITY OF OFFICERS r.
We need, a thousand additional officers
in order to properly man: the ships now
provided for and under construction. The
classes at the naval school at Annapolis
should be greatly enlarged. At the same
time that we thus add the officers where
we need them, we should facilitate :he
retirement Of those at the head Of the list
whose usefulness has become impaired.
Promotion must be fostered If the service
is to be kept efficient. ~ 49,, 49,.
T. The lanentable~ scarcity of officers. and
the large number of recruits and of I'M
skilled men necessarily put aboard the
new vessels assthey have been commits
stoned, has thrown upon our officers, and
especially on the lieutenants and Junior
grades, unusual labor and fatigue, and has
gravely strained their powers Of endur-
ance. 1t must continue for some time
longer, until more officers are graduated