Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-11-11
NEEDS OF NAVY.
We Must Have More Officers
for Our Warships.
The Lack May Endanger the Eff
cheney Of the Navy.
General Staff to Control Fleet Also
Recommended.

ing need Of the navy, according to the
annual report of Admiral II. c. Taylor,
chief of the bureau of navigation, is
declares that the preparations now go
ing on for the mobilization of the fleet
for the winter maneuvres in the West
Indies has brought the department face
to face with the critical condition due
to lack of officers which he says has
reached such point as to be danger
Gus to the efficiency of the fleet. He
says that the number of officers on our
ships is less than the number 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-
envy during the next four years will be
355. leaving a deficit of officers July 1,
1905, of 1915 taking into consideration
the new ships to be built and not
counting the officers for auxiliaries
who will be required in event of hostil-
tiles. Admiral Taylor recommends Il
further increase of one midshipman for
each member of the House, and each
senator, one from the District of Co
lumbia, and 10 annually at large.
A concentration of the naval force
in two big fighting squadrons in the
north Atlantic and Asiatic waters is
recommended. For this purpose the
report says two squadrons are all that
our battleships will permit. To carry
out this policy Admiral Taylor pro-
poses TO transfer the battleships in the
remaining squadrons to one or the
others of these squadrons and COM
pose the Pacific, European and South
Atlantic squadrons entirely of cruisers.
These changes will be undertaken as
soon as the winter maneuvres in the
West Indies are concluded. After the
arrangements the distribution of the
fighting forces of the navy will be as
follows:
North Atlantic acknowledgements,
Alabama, Massachusetts,, Indiana,
Maine, Illinois, Iowa and Texas. This
force should be in the future maintain
ed ut not less than eight battleships.
Caribbean division of North Atlantic
station-Oympia, Montgomery, Mariet-
ia. 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
miSsicned.
The cruiser division of the Asiatic
station-New Orleans, YOrkton, Will
mington, Helena. Vicksburg. Princeton,
Annapolis, Don Juan De Austrian and
Isle De Cuba The Rainbow and a
large sunboat division will, as hereto
fore. be attached to the squadron for
service among the islands and the
rivers.
Pacific station-New York, Philadel-
phia. Boston, Marblehead and Ranger.
European station-Chicago, Brook
Iyn, San Francisco and Albany.
South acknowledgements, Atlanta and
Nashville.
1t is also proposed to form additional
torpedo boat fiotillas with a destroyer
as the leading vessel. after the plan of
the present department now i'm the
West Indies under the command of
Lieut. Chandler.
Inc DTODOScu VI ehS
naval forces. Admiral Taylor says.
makes it desirable to have an officer
of high rank in command of each of
the great heavy fleets and he recon-
mends for these two commanders that
Congress authorize the creation of two
vice admirals, or as an alternative that
it sanction the appointment of two
acting vice admirals.
Admiral Taylor also urgently recon-
mends further congressional action for
the establishment of a general staff to
control and administer the affairs of
the fleet No recommendations are
made concerning the national naval re-
serve.
Much space is devoted in the report
10 the necessity for gunnery training.
Attention is called in detail to the
operations of the fleets and the work of
our naval officers and men in the wa
ters of the Philippines and Of the West
Indies is highly commended. To the
close blockade established by the navy
on the island of Samar he says the de-
feat of Lukhan. the iDsurgent leader Is
largely attributable.