The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-12-03
DESERnONS IN NAVY ADMIRAL TAYLOR ANALYxES
 THE CAUSES. Recommends the Creation of Gen. eral Stan and . Material In- crease in Number of oM-
 cers and Ships.

Washington. Dec. 2--The annual report of Admiral H. c. Taylor. Chief of the Bureau of Navigation. recommends the the appointment of two vice-Admirele. one for the Asiatic Station. and one for the North Atlantic Station; q material tn- crease in the number of officers. and the addition of a number of ships to the
 Referring to the Caribbean squadron the report says that the object of it's orc ation is to provide at all times q force ly whenever needed to such points as may demand protection for American in- terests. An increase in the number of cruisers forming the squadron to eight is and three specially constructed light draft vessels for river work. The coal squad ron. while planned for the naval defense of the country, should occasion require, strengthen our principal fleet in the West Indies. --l. f sf Admiral Taylor calls attention to the irregular character of the training squad economy the building of training vessels which would be useful in war. The con- struction of such vessels is recommend l ed to be of the sise of the San Fran ! and with large coal endurance, but with | such reduction in armament as to be ca pabie of berthing large number of mon. For the European Station six new cruis- | ton. Admiral Taylor says, the situation demands there battleship squadron, c cruiser squadron and Q squadron of small
 vesses Admiral Taylor concurs in the re- concentration of Admiral Evans that the principal station in the Philippines be es- tabiished Ht Olongapo, Subig Bay. The
 report says the Asiatic station needs six cruisers of an improved Olympia type and
 four cruisers of the scout cruiser type, of which latter two can now be provided. It also is urged that two small gunboats or large launches be provided immediate ly for service in Chinese rivers for the protection of American interests.
 Admiral Taylor expresses the opinion that large number of cruisers will Dc necessary in the next few years. Ad- miral Taylor calls attention to the time spent by vessels of the North Atlantic fleet at navy yards for repairs. saying the battleship Alabama spent 1s3 days at the New York navy yard, the f<earsarge i0l days and the Indiana 1G, which. he says, is too long. He recommends that vessels of this fleet visit the navy yards for re- pairs only once a year.
 Admiral Taylor treats at great length the subject of assertions, showing that for the year 1903. the per centage was 12.5. Among the various reasons assigned
 by officers as we'll as the men themselves
 he says, are discontent with the food dis comforts as to sleeping accommodations, confinement on board ship without fre- quent liberty to visit shore, harshness in language and bearing on the part of the officers toward the crew, the disappoint- ment of the recruit who believed that sea service was a pleasant and easy thing, and the restless spirit existing among some of the men. He estimates that tho assertions on account of food, close quar- ters. restricted liberty to go ashore and causes incident to the men themselves. at not above per cent. of the force, and says that when assertions go above that per centage, the Department should ex- anime closely the causes which produce the increase: Admiral Taylor believes that the evil of assertion in the comin& slow decrease. due to the many ailevia- tionS which have been introduced.
 As affecting the personnel of the navy. Admiral Taylor refers to the need of more officers as engineers. Attention also Is called to defect which Admiral Taylor says is common to most military services
 whether at sea or on land, namely, the more important comands. As a remedy for the present defect he urges the retire. ment of officers when they have reached certain az in a certain grade. He sug-
 Rests that an officer of 50 years who has not attained the rank of captain, retire and that a captain who at s has not reached the grade of Rear Admiral, re- tire. Admiral Taylor urges an addition to the service of thirty lieutenant command CTS and fifty Meutenants.
 Regarding the creation of a general stan Admiral Taylor says:
 The present organization of the De-
 partment is inadequate because 1t fails to coordinate In the efforts of the sey. erai bureaus to common end and mo-
 where fixes responsibility under the Sec
 retary for the general efficiency of the
 fleet and It's preparedness for war"