The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-12-04
Secretary Reports a Deficiency 10
Officers.
WANTS MORE CADETS APPOINTED.
Extension at Annapolis and General
Increase in the Service Seems to
Be Necessary.

Washington. n. C.-Sccratary OF ,tc
Navy Moody Eas made lis report for
the fiscal yca: ending June 30. The
report deals with the ships under coz
StrUction. those authorized by Con-
gresS. those in and out o. commission.
the personnel or the service and with
The future OF the Navy, as seen Ey
Secretary Moody. OF the vessels under
construction. the report says:
''-At the close OF the last fiscal year
there were under construction for the
Navy, by contract. the following YES
sells: Eight battleships. six armored
cruisers. nine protected cruisers. four
monitors. thirteen torp2do-boat destroy
erS. seven torpedo boats, and: seven
submarine torpedo boats. The general
progress upon these boats: particularly
those of the larger class. has not been
found to be satisfactory. The battle
ships were. oa the 30th' Of June. 1902.
from ten to twentynine months behind
contract time: the armored cruisers
from four to thirteen months; the pro-
tected cruisers from six to eighteen
months. while the monitors were from
sixteen to nineteen months In arrears.
During the fiscal year the following
vessels have been nnally accepted: The
battleships Alabama. Wisconsin, and
Illinois; the torpedo boats Bailey, Bag
ley. Barney. Biddle. Shubrick and Stock
70 ThnYnfnn
Wilkes. and the destroyers Decatur,
Perry and Preble have been prelimin-
arily accepted. Between July !, 1907.
and November l.. 1902. the Thornton
has been finally and the following yes
sels preliminarily accepted: The moni-
tor Arkansas. the torpedo boat destroy
ers Barry, Chauncey. Dale. Paul Jones.
Truxton. Whipple and Worden, and the
torpedo boat De Long"
OF new vessels the authorized report
continues:
AT the last session Of Congress the
construction of the following addi-
tional vessels of the Navy was author
lied: Two battleshiDs. one to be built
at such Navy Yard as the Secretary
might designate: two armored cruisers
and two gunboats. In pursuance OF
this act the Department without delay
approved plans for the construction or
the two. battleships and directed that
work on one Of them, the Connecticut.
be commenced at once at the Navy
Yard, New York"
OF the future Of the Navy the Sec
retary says
IF the policy Of Strengthening our
power upon the sea to the point where
it can respond to the National needs be
not abandoned. the Navy has manifold
needs. There must be additional naval
and coaling stations: more ships. fight.
ing and auxiliary; and an increase OF
officers and men.
The most imperative need Of the
Navy to-day is of additional officers: l
cannot overstate this need. 1t invites
the instant attention of Congress. The
administration of the Department is
embarrassed almost daily by the lack
Of officers below command rank. This
condition has been approaching for
some years. and was clearly appre-
hended and stated by my predecessor
in office. 1t is acute to-day, and. when
the ships already authorized are COM
pleted. it will be desperate unless there
is early action"
The report shows that at present
there is a deficiency of SIT officers 70.
the ships OF the Navy. 1t speaks OF
the ways In which more officers may
be obtained. and ADDS:
II therefore earnestly recommend
that without a years delay the num-
Der of nidshipmen at the Academy be
increased sufficiently to meet present
and prospective needs Of the service:
The report continues:
From time to time during the last
forty years attempts nave been made
BY various foreign governments. as
we'll as by our own. to utilize oil as
fuel for naval service. Fourteen
official tests have Deen made. from
which valuable information has been
secured.
"As q result Of the Investigations
thus far conducted the Chief OF the bu
reau Of Steam Engineeringrecommend
the installation of liquid-fuel appli.
ances without delay in at least thlro
Of the torpedo boats and destroyers
With respect to the larger war vesseis
and particularly the battleships. the IN
stalla tion of liquid fuel presents Sc
rIous difficulties. entirely apart from
the question of the satisfactory use OF
oil under boilers.
"In recommending that the Govern
ment obtain control Of all wireless tel
egraph stations the. Chief Of the Blu.
real of Equipment says: In time OF
war the department win undoubtedly
| find 1t necessary to communicate by
means OF wireless biography with Ger
| tain receiving stations along the
coast Nothing should be permitted
to interfere with the transmission OF
such messages. nor should It be posi-
bic for unauthorized persons to receive
! them"
| pt.trjc, Attorney Bethea ReappoiDted.