The Washington times., 1902-09-15
Much Information, Both
Instructive and Useful,
Furnished.
YEARS PROGRESS is SHOWN
Startling Facts Given of the Dangers
of Navigating Warships and Hand
ling Explosives - German Empire
Making Rapid Strides on Sea.

Making Rapid Strides on Sea.
The naval annual for 1902, just'publish-
ed by the Office of Naval Intelligence,
with the title. Notes on Naval Prog
xess," is full of Interesting information
gathered and compiled under the direc-
tion of Capt. Charles d. Sigsbee, Chief
Intelligence Officer. The scope of the
the oompilers being to furnish American
naval officers with all the data obtain
able as to what was done abroad in the
way of naval progress during the past
year.
Ii would be impossible within the linn
is of a short review TO give an adequate
understanding of all the valuable mat
ter contained in the 500 pages which the
book comprises. Many quaint and Curl
Gus, and, at the same time, instructive
pieces of naval news are TO be found in
some OF the articles. while much of the
information is of such character as to
be readily appreciated by the layman.
s In view of the forthcoming maneuvers
of the North Atlantic. the Euro
pean and the South. Atlantic sauadrons
in the West Indies. the articles by Lieut.
Louis NJ. Mutton, on the British. French.
German and Russian naval games are
especially valuable at this time. Anoth-
er article bv Lieutenant Mutton shows
that the British navy is devoting much
attention to target practice, and that
some splendid results have been achiev-
ed. Lieutenant Commander John H.
Gibbons. in an instructive and carefully
prepared articles on ships and torpedo
boats. concludes with record of for
eign marine casualties, which form a
startling commentary on the dangers of
navigating Yarships and handling ex-
plos:ves.
In the engineering notes prepared by
Lieut.. Charles L. Poor. much space is
given to a discussion of the pressing
question of the use of liquid fuel for
obtaining motor power on naval vessels.
and Lieutenant Poor also treats exhaus-
lively the important matter of wireless
teleeraphy in signaling at sea-
But while these things are of great
interest and value, naval officers regard
as more important the showing made in
the volume of the efforts of European
countries and Japan to increase their
respective fleets. This subject is treat
cd generally and specifically by Lieuten-
ant Mutton in an article or series of
articles entitled Notes on Naval Bud
gets>of 19o2-3.''
Germany Very Active.
For many reasons, and particularly
because Germany is making rapid strides
toward the completion of modern
navy. comparatively greater than the
advances of any other nation, Lieuten-
ant Nulton's review of the German ma
val program is of first Importance In
his introduction to the volume. Captain
Sigsbee says that in the chapter on ma
val increase the most interesting iten. |
is that of the development of the per
sonnel of the German navy, as indicated |
by an examination of the budgets"
Lieutenant Mutton, after stating that |
the estimates for 1902, as submitted TO |
the Reichstag, amounted to 209. .0S2, ,OS9 |
marks, an increase of 12,347 81 marks |
over last years estimates, gives a brief |
review of Germany's efforts toward the
creation of great fleet.
THE increase in the German navy in
both personnel and material" he says.
has been systematic, steady, aui ra-
pid.''
There is little doubt" continues the
report, that the compliance o. the gov
ernment and people with the we'll known
desire of the German Emperor for a
strong navy is due, to large extent.
n h0 inf 1f 81 !
league through its well-directed efforts
toward creating a positive and lively
interest in the navy on the part of the
people.
The efforts of the league have been
directed with more than ordinary abili-
ty. and its influence, as the result of its
efforts. could only be entirely satisfac-
tory to those concerned in its direction.
"A law passed April 10. 1885. provided
for an increase in the feet, the increase
to be completed in six years. The
of the feet as contemplate,:
by this law was attained In practically ;
one-half Of the proposed period. and in :
January. 1900, the increase of the fleet
was again before the Reiehs;ag. with
the result that considerable addition {
to the fleet was authorized in June OF
that year.
zation was to cover period originally I
Intended to extend to the year 1916 The Y
fact that the increase authorized by the |
law of 1898 was carried out long before
the expiration of the period contem- {
plated, led the council to refrain from I
definitely fixing the year 1916 but to I
build as financial and other circum- !
stances would permit; in other words. !
70 complete the program authorized In I
1900 as rapidly as possible. f
Nearing Completion. +
This program n90W is now within a r
lew years Of completion, and it is high
" probable that the actual material
strength in number of ships. withou; +
those over the prescribed age. g
will be reached by 1908, if not in 1907. 1
by counting vessels still serviceable. b
,ut beyond the efficient age limit. the p
prescribed strength could probably be p
cached in at least three years" Il
Lieutenant Mutton appends the follow a
,g table. showing what is contemplated c
" Germany: A
Battle Ar,nored Small
Building program. SHIPS. cruisers. cruisers. s.
otal required by law Of lo
1900 .......--.-...s..-. 80 Ia IS a
n. I...rt.