Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-11-29

AiotiOii, itdiiiciy, I'LL ~ -tHice, W0lte the
United States comes next with twenty
nine: then follows England with %
Russia with "a and, finally. Germany
, with fifteen vessels. Although Ger
many possesses the smallest number
her ships have the greatest speed, an
important factor in estimating their
fighting value. Three German aux
Hilary cruisers 1.-TWO of the North Ger
man. Lloyd and one of the Hamburg
American Line) have speed of %
knots, and two (both of the North
German Lloyd a speed of % knots,
whereas the United States has only
| two of % knots. and Great Britain only
1 two of 81 knots, the fastest they pos
Sess.
The French steamers belong to the
Connragnie Generate Transatlantiaue
Twenty vessels varying in speed from
| 20 to Is knots) and the, Messageries
Maritimes thirteen vessels of lis to
1875 knots speed.
The United States vessels include the
ships of the International Naviga-
| ton Company -four vessels of % and 20
| knots), of the Red D Line (three yes
sells of Is and II knots), of the Panama
| Railroad Company 1.-TWO vessels of Il
and IA knots), of the Pacific Mail
| twelve vessels of 16, 10 and IA knots, of
| the Cuba Mail (nine vessels of Is and IA
knots).
| The British auxiliaries comprise the
ships of the Cunard Company (six YES
! sells of q to II knots). the White Star
| Company five vessels of 20 to 16 knots),
| the Peninsular and Oriental Company
| fourteen vessels of Il to Ii knots) and
the Canadian Pacific Railway Company
| (three vessels of 16 knots).
The Russian auxiliary fleet comprises
| the Black Sea Company eight ships of
| 16 to Is knots) and volunteers Sixteen,
varying from II to 20 knots), the best
| being Moskau and Smolensk of 20
| knots: Kherson, Pultava, Orel and
| Saratof of 10 knots or little over
The German auxiliaries are the Ham,
| burg-American and the North Ameri-
| can LIoyd lines. hte former or six ships,
with 16 to % knots speed, the latter of
| eight ships, with similar speed and
| the Schichau Line Zone steamer of 10
| knots).
| Tho question of personnel for the
worlds navies has Increased IN I'M
portanco with the gradual increase in
| the number and size OF the Warshlps,
| and the lack of sufficient men to man
| the warships is very often commented
| upon in the daily press all the world
loVer.
| At present the strength of the United
States navy on paper is 2o,ooo men, put
in reality it is short about zooo
| sailors and apprentice boys, as well as
| deficient in good warrant officers; 50
| that even the crews of the sh'pS III
| commission are not complete. IL mas
| been proposed in the present year 10 III
| crease the navy by 5000, ana Tor 1913 the
| total strength is to be raised TO So'ooo
| men. If Congress dOas not act very
| soon in this matter the expensive ma
| terial of the navy Will be careu io'
| only with great difficulty not to men
| ton proper manning of the ships kept
| in commission.
| The British navy, by way of con-
| trast, had on April l, 1902, total or
| 1tG5O6 men, including 4lO officers ana
| 24,317 warrant officers.
The French navy has difficulty in OBJ
| tanning the proper number OF able navy
| officers, because poor pay and SLOW
| promotion initiate. against the. adop-
| tion of the naval profession by the
| nroner kind of men. In regard to sail-
| ors. France is in very good condition,
| thanks to the inscription maritime OF
| Colbert The present mobilization lists
| contain the names of Il, 200 men. ana
| after deducting 80 per cent. of sick ana
| ,b.ant there still remain 1880 men fer
| service. Adding to this number now
| in active service (50.000) and the re
serves 10000, we have grand total
! available of les, 600. approximately. But
| of these the Coast Artillery (Which Is
under the naav in France) is to re-
| ce;ve 1000. leaving $4,000 for the ships.
| The fleet of 1907 will require but $4,000
men. consequently there is still an eX-
| cess of 5000 available for shore duty.
| The Italian Navy Qess than three-hlt rs
/ the size of ours IN shipsl ha G ~ ,nar ar
| active service at the end OF tne year, OF
| Mont the same as ours. Besides these,
| however there were avallaple 40 over .oo >, 9
| enrolled for service and uncer . years u
| aoa an that 56l47 were aval!aple lor ser
| Zoe on hoard warships. Moreover, 5l,'Ss
| ,dditional men belonging TO older CLASSES,
| ar no longer in for sea service W.T.
turned over to the land army, Ea arSnnna 4,
| therefore Italy has plenty OF personnel
| ,vailahIe TO man her war fleet, as wei as
| for the defence of her coast, with sur sur
| olus of over $4,000 men VINO can De u'i-
i1 IT, ~, cnrman NAVY has been trebled in
strength (personneD in the past twenty
| years or doubled in the past ten. ana VIII
| soon have her present force doubted
Iapain. In 1901 she had Mn men in act ave
| service and according to the law OF 20 l9 ~
the fleet will have perSonnei OF toT,
| men The German feet is still somewhat
| weaker in ships than our own, and VIII be
| evcn in 1906 and yet her personnel IS lar
| ,reater now and will be nearly double our
| ,wn after the increase now asked TOT Is
| made.
Still another matter of interest con-
| ,ected with the worlds navies Is the
| strength of the crews required LOT FaIi-
Gus warships. 1t will be surprising 10
many to learn that there are quite
'umber of warships requiring crews OF Sv
| men or over The British protected
| cruisers Powerful and Terrible nave eacn
| SS1 men and the four armored cruisers OF
| she Duncan type, now building are 70
have the same. The Russian armored
| sru;sers Rosija and Gromoboi and the
tnrce Japanese battleships Assault
Jotsuse and Mileasa have each so
| men aboard There are a considerable
| number OF warships with crews numpef-
ng 700 men or over. Great Britain has
IsS France ). Russia 10. Italy ). and Ger
many l. the crews varying from 80 to
1893 men.
Cause of Headaches.
| Many and many person n martyr