The Topeka state journal., 1902-11-10
NEEDS OF THE NAVY.
They Are Set Forth in the Report of
Admiral Taylor.

Washington, Nov. 10.-The most cry
ing need of the navy. according to the
annual report of Admiral H. C. Taylor
chief of the bureau of navigation, is
more officers to man our ships. He de-
clares that the preparations now going
on for the mobilization of the fieets for
the winter naaneuvers in the West In
dies 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 dangerous
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. He sub
mits a table showing that the present
needs of the naval service require 1,500
officers, While the number on the navy
list, including midshipmen, after gradu-
alton is only 1023, or All short. This
table is based upon the lowest POSSIBLE
number of officers needed on our bat
tleShipS, II, against an average num-
ber OF officers for similar ships in for
eign navies of 80 in England, 26 in
France, and 20 in Germany. He figures
that the vessels now authorized by con-
gress but not completed will require 49S
additional officers, to which is to be
added 25 per cent. for officers sick or on
shore duty, and $50 for casualties dur
ing the next four years. or a total for
the vessels now being built of 7S3. This
number added to the present shortage,
BIZ will give 1850. The graduates from
the naval academy during the next four
years will be 355, leaving a total deficit
July 1, 1906, of 1.005, not counting Off
GERS for auxiliaries. who would be re-
quired in the event of hostilities. In ad-
dition to the increase of midshipmen
provided for by the last congress- Ad-
miral Taylor therefore recommends a
each member and delegate in the house
and each senator. one from the District
of Columbia, and ten annually at large.
He also recommends that the number
of lieutenant commanders be increased
80 ieutenants (senior grade), so lieu
tenants Gunior grade), and ensigns so.
Concentration Of the naval force in
two big fighting squadrons in the North
Atlantic and Asiatic waters is recon-
mended- For the present the report
says, two sduadrons are all that the
present number of our battleshios will
permit. To carry~out this policy Ad-
niral Taylor proposes to transfer the
battleshipS in the remaining squadrons
to one or the other of these heavy
squadrons, and compose the Pacific.
European and South Atlantic suuadrons
be undertaken as soon as the winter
maneuvers in the West Indies are con-
cluded- After the arrangement the dis
tribution of the fighting force of the
navy will be as follows:
North Atlantic Staton-Kearsarge Ala
bana- Massachusetts. Indiana. Maine. Iii
n0is. Iowa ard Texas. This force should
be in the future maintained at not less
than eight battleships.
Caribbean Division of North Atlantic
Station-Olympia, Montgomery, Marietta.
Maehias, Panther and Detroit.
Asiatie Station-Kentucky. Oregon, Wis
consin, Monadneck and Monterey. The
battleships in this squadron are to be in
creased to the number of six soon as
vessels of this class are commissioned
The Cruiser Division of the As:atic Sta
tion-New Orleans. Yorktown. Whining
ton, Helena. Vicksburg, Princeton. Anrap-
ba- The Rainbow and large sCnboat di-
vision will heretofore, be attached TO
the squadron for service among the islands
and the ri-ers
Pacific Station-New York Philadelphia.
Boston, MarbIehead and Ranger.
European Station-Broolzlyn Chicago.
San Francisco and Albany.
South Atlantic Station-Newark, Atlanta
and Nashville
1t is also proposed to form additional
torpedo boat t1otillas with destroyer as
the leading vessel after the plan of the
present group now in the West Indies IIn-
der the command of Lieutenant Chan1-
Ter.
The proposed concentration of the naval
forces, Admiral Taylor says. makes if de-
sirable to have officer of hign rank in
and he recommends for these two cam
mands that congress authorize the crea-
tion of two vice admirals. as an alter
native. that it sanction the appointment
of two acting vice admirals
Admiral Taylor also urgently recon-
menGs further congressional action for the
establishment of a general staff to control
and administer the affairs of the fleet to
be responsible for the personnel and to di-
rect generally, under the secretary of mill
itary affairs of the fleet and be responsible
to him for its condition.
No recommendations are made concern
ing the natioral naval reserve. The adni-
raj saws the subject is still occupying the
attention of the bureau and that the gen
eral board has been frequently consulted,