The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-01
AN INLAND NAVY.
Fresh Water Sailors in Demand nv
Navy Department..
New York Herald.

New York Herald.
Fresh water sailors, recruited from the
vast Middle West and trained on the great
lakes, promise TO become a highly impor-
tant factor In the United States navy of
the future.
To aid in their development there is a
strong feeling In Washington that the
Rush Bagot treaty of 1917. which limits to
almost nothing the naval force of Great
Britain and the United States on the great
lakes, should be so revised or its interpre
tation so agreed upon that war ships spIit
able for training purposes may be per
mitted. to cruise the great inland seas.
sea ways are sufficiently heavy to give
the rawest recruit from Indiana, Illinois.
Iowa, Michigan or Wisconsin ample Oppor.
A board consisting of Rear 2dntra, IT
{. Taylor, chief OF the Bureau of Naviga-
ton, and Commander c. MGR. Winsiow
has J., recommended that the naval training
two miles north of Chicago, on the shore
of Lake Michigan. There is an excellent
site there for the erection of shore bar
racks and for drill ground, and it nos
cruits may be trained in ships cutters.
But this is the limit for training facili-
ties on water unless the Rush-Bagot agree
ment is altered. The Rush-Bagot treaty
confines the naval force of each power
as follows: ON Lake Ontario, to one
vessel not exceeding 100 tons burden and
armed with an eighteen-pound cannon on
the upper lakes, TO two vessels not ex-
ceeding the light burden of each and
armed with light force, and on the waters
of Lake Champlain. to one vessel not ex-
exceeding light burden and armed with
light force"
There have been many efforts to abrogate
the Rush-Bagot treaty. Shipbuiders on
the lakes desired it's abrogation i'm order
that they might build warships for the
United States navy which could be taken no
the sea through the st. Lawrence river.
Senator Fairbanks is anxious that the
sittings of the joint high commission. which
adjust the existing differences between the
United States and Canada shall be resumed.
If he Is able to bring this about the RUSH
Bagot treaty will be brought before the
commission with an idea to it's revision or
Interpretation anew, so that the United
States and Great Britain, should they so
desire, may place training ships, like the
cruiser Yankee or Prairie, of the United
States navy, on the great lakes to carry the
ers which will fit them for duty on battle
ships and other vessels of the navy at home
and i'm foreign waters.
If some such arrangement is not made
the naval training station will afford the
recruits concentrated there training which
must necessarily be supplemented by trans
portation to the seaboard and assignment
to the North Atlantic training squadron,
now commanded by Rear Admiral Wise
For the recruits to get all the training nee
essary to fit them for duty in fighting ships
before they leave the lakes is considered
highly desirable. The naval committee OF
the House, which will consider the estab-
fishing of the training station on Lake
Michigan at an early date. will also con-
slider the necessity for change in the exist
ing agreement