Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-11-24
ESTIMATE or 1902 INADEQUATE
Provided for About Hall Number OF
officers That Foreign Warships
Of Same Class Have.
HUNDREDS MORE ARE NEEDED.
Our Naval Captains Are Much Older
Than Those 10 Other Naval Service
"A Question Of Precedence


Washington. Nov. a--How badly on
the navy is for officers. and how seri-
ously this condition may affect the
navy ana the nation, ls told In the am
nual report OF Rear Admiral George A.
converse, chief Of the bureau OF navi-
CATION, approved by Secy. Morton. Ex~
perienee, especially IN gun.hre he says.
mas SHOWN that II Is necessary 10 in
crease the number Of officers assigned
70 snip, so that the estimate made In
1902 OF the number of officers needed
Tor ships Va commission Is inadequate.
IL provided for only about one-half as
many officers az ships OF the same class
carry IN the British, French and Ger
man navles. Admiral converse recon-
meuds that the number Of leutenauts
be Increased from $50 10 600, and that
the number OF lleutenant-command
be increased from 200 to 800. 1T Is es-
peclally desirable" the admiral says.
that every battleshp and other pow
erful vessel requiring the greatest skill
and experience for proper efficiency
should have her full quota Of officers,
and several battleshlps have ensigns
and even mldshlpmen as watch and d.
vision officers This very unsatisfac-
tory and even dangerous condition Is
due to the many urgent demands for
officers, the existing inadequacy OF
numbers often making II impossible to
detail officers Of appropriate rank. The
increasing numbers Of midshipmen
90 ka La
time win partially relieve the situation
IN the lower grades. but more lieutcn.
ant-commanders and lleutenants are
needed than existing laws provides
TORPEDO CRAFT COMMANDERS.
Because Of the important part played
by torpedo craft IN the war IN the far
east II Is deemed advisable that the
larger vessels Of this type be command
ed by lieutenant- commanders To IL
ustrate how much older the captains OF
the American navy are than those OF
foreign navles, the report says the
youngest American commander on the
day he attained that rank was older
than the average age OF Japanese, aud
about the same as the average Of Eng
lish and German captains, He had
passed the compulsory retirement age
for japanese captains, and was within
l6 months OF the compulsory retirement
age for German and English officers. No
specific remedy for this is offered, be-
cause Admiral Converse feels that II the
need be recognized by higher authors
~ satisfactory means may soon be de-
vlsed He remarks, however that un-
al a measure is adopted for the COM
pulsory retirement OF commanders and
captains that do not gain promotions at
certain ages, the flower Of promotion
and the ages OF officers IN the different
grades 'Yill not be satisfaction"
TWO VICE ADMIRALs WANTED.
Authorization by Congress Of two vice
admIrals Is urgently recommended, In
order that our flag officers may not De
beneath foreign officers holding inferior
commands.
1T Is manlfestly undesirable" says
the admiral, FOR our flag officers 10 be
beneath all others In matter OF prece-
dence IN International affairs with
which they have 10 do as representa-
tives OF the United States II is there
fore recommended that tne rank OF vice
admiral be conferred upon the officers
as commanders-ln-chi OF the North
Atlantic and Aslato fleets, and that the
aw reyiylng this grade provide that
mo officer shall hold the rank OF vice
admiral IN either the active or retired
list, except while exercising such com.
mand ahoat as vice admiral for two
years, or else as flag officer for three
years altogether, at least one Of those
years as a vice admiral" and that on
GERS may not as they retire be pro-
NOTED to the grade OF vice admiral
Attention Is called 10 the indespensa-
bility Of cruisers, the report saying
I'VE require a cruiser squadron In the
north Atlantic, south Atlantic and the
Caribbean, and also on the European
station, all these being ready on the ap-
pro0ch OF hostlltiCs 20 combine IN ona
fleet wherever needed. In the Pacific
our force should consist OF a large
squadron OF cruisers and on the Asiat-
ic station the battleships should be
supplemented with fun squadron OF
cruisers"
Regarding the paramount efficiency
OF the battleships and the part played
by them IN the far eastern war, Admiral
Converse says:
AS TO TORPEDO VESSELS.
although 100 and more torpedoboau
and destroyers have been actually en-
gagged for five months against battlc-
ships. which have been exposed TO at
tack times without number, we have
vet 10 learn authoritAtlyely Of a torpedo
from q torpedo vessel causing the loss
OF single battleship. Those which
have been sunk owed their destruction
To submarine mines anchored or broken
adrift, torpedo vessels not contributing
to the result except by the confusion
and sense OF greater danger due to their
presence. u Is evident that IN the
final summary OF losses the achieve
inents OF torpedo vessels win count less
than was at frat supposed. Il can
not be claimed therefore, that there
has been 50 far anything TO discredit
the battleship as a type; nor Is any
such outcome TO be expected from this
war, whatever may BIO the casualties
among battleships, TO wage success
ful warfare with o naval force requires
now, rs it has required IN all ages. y
type OF vessel which shall combine in
the most effective manner the qualities
Of offense. mobility defense, endurance.
Such vessels ara
and they constitute the
main strength and reliance OF a navy
Early In the report Admiral Converse
calls attention 20 the need Of a general
stan or board IAN advisory body which
shall not be under the control OF any
bureau but responsible directly TO The