Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1902-10-16
NEED ()F THE navy TO-DAY.
Excerpts From the Speech of the
Secretary of the Navy
Moody at Chicago.
At THE MARQUETTE CLUBS BaAQUE 7
The Most Imperative Need of the
Navy To-Day, and One that Can
Not be 0verestinated, is Adai-
fionaI Cfsiecrs-The Situation Has
Now Become Acute.


cerpts from the speech of Secretary
of the Navy Moody, delivered at the
banquet OF the Marquette club,
Thursday night. have special signiii-
canoe in view OF existing conditions:
''The most imperative need of the
navy to-day is of additional officers.
l can not oyerstate this need. 1t de-
mands the instant attention of con-
gress. Even though the short session
of congress is coming and there is
little opportunity for general leglsla-
ton, it is the duty of the republican
party, with power and responsibility
in both houses, to consider and meet
| this need at that session. There
should not be even years delay. 1t
| takes longer to make an officer of
| junior rank than it does to build a
battleship, and conditions will not
| permit us to daily with the question.
1t is the time for action. Much as |
wish to continue the building of
ships, | do not wish them unless at
the same time provision is made for
officers and men to man them. For
years the condition to which | refer
has been approaching. To-day it is
acute. Four years from now it will
be desperate unless there is early ac-
tion.
"These are strong statements and
demand proof. l will endeavor to
furnish it. In doing so | will omit
| all details which are not essential,
although l can not escape details en-
tirely The first of Janaury last is
| convenient point of time for the
discussion of the present relation of
the number of officers to the duties
| which are required of them. Natur-
ally we first turn to the duties on
board ship. We find that the ships
which may then be counted as serv-
| iceable demand as a minimum 1887
| officers of the line. There were at
that time 264 officers on shore duty of
various kinds, courts-Inartial, inspec-
| ton, instruction at the naval acad-
envy, recruiting, ordnance and others
which [ will not enumerate. 1t must
| not be forgotten that there are many
| naval duties which must always be
performed on shore, duties which are
as important and essential to naval
efficiency as the navigation of ships.
| ''Some part of the shore duty, |
have thought, acting upon profession
al advice, unnecessary, and it has
| been discontinued. Some stations on
| cbora bova bean oboJiSbad heoouSa
with conflicting demands of the serv-
ice, I had no choice. There is to-day
a less number of officers upon shore
duty than on the first of January. 1t
will be the policy of my administra-
! ton to abolish such duties on shore
as are not essential to the efficiency
| of our navy as whole or to the
proper development Of the individual
| officer
"The line is not easy to draw, and
nothing will be done impetiously or
| without consideration.
with a squadron in European wa
| ters, another in Pacific waters, an
| other in Asiatic waters, another in
South Atlantic waters, another in
| North Atlantic waters, another just
constituted with duties in or about
| the Caribbean sea, there must alawys
| be a certain number of officers in
transit from one point of duty to an
other. For instance, there recently
| landed in San Francisco, on their re-
/ turn from the Philippines, more than
| fifty officers, Withdrawn for the time
being in the course of their journey
| from duties of any kind. A small
estimate of the officers in transit to
and from stations is 20. We can
count at least at all times upon an
average of so officers on the sick
list and so more on leave, which has
been, of recent years, rare thing
for the younger officers.
'The requirements which / have
stated. it will be seen, called on Jam
uary first for 1851 officers. There
were on the date named 1,023 officers,
including midshipmen, or COZ less
than needed. 1t is true that in time
of peace there would be at all times
a large fraction, say onefourth, of
our ships out of commission, under
going repairs and improvements.
| Suppose this to be so, it would reduce
| the shortage by one-half, but still
we would be 300 short of our require
ments. and with every effort and a
detachment from every possible point
of duty on shore where the officer
NAV be detached without imperiling
the efficiency of the navy there is
still, even in time of peace, a present
existing deficiency.
.sBut how of the future? Is is the
part of prudence to look ahead. 1t is
especially my own duty to speak and
| have between 60 and 20 ships author
ized and in process of construction,
many of them of the most important
and powerful types. To man them all
demands 49S officers. again allowing
| the absolute minimum number, allow
/ ing. for instance, II officers to a bat
tleship. although Germany has 20,
France 26 and England 50 officers for
the same type of ship. Allowing the
same proportion of officers in transit,
on shore duty. sick and on leave. it
will require 6a3 officers to produce
the 49s demanded by our new ships.
In the meantime, offices will be dy-
| ing or leaving the service through
disability or by resignation. In four
years it is estimated that not less
/ than leo vacancies viii be created in
| this manner. We have. therefore, by
| this computation. 7S3 officers to be
| provided for our shrps low in process
/ of construction which we may ex-
pect to complete within four years
This number. added to the 607 which
we to-day lack, shows that in four
years. in order to officer our fleet as
! ii then win exist. there will be re
! auired 1890 officers, more officers
than w nave to-day
This Is leaving cut Of aeacsislt 'ise
/ otfieers that might be demanded anu