The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-05
UNCLE SANS NAVY
LEADS THE WORLD
IN THE BUILDING OF SHIPS.
VESSEL FOR VESSEL 1T WILL
COMPARE WITH ANY NAVY
AFLOAT.

nuRI RepOrt-His Plea for Such a
Navy In style, Sine and "sand"
That no other viii Dare Engage.
The Naval Estimates for Next Year
the Largest Ever Submitted.
preparedness" Is the WatchwOrd
of the Department.
Washington, Dec. 4.-The annual re-
port of Secretary Morton of the Navy
Department was made public to-day
The naval estimates for the next fiscal
year are large, the largest ever sub
mitted, Notwithstanding they have
been cut down from those sent in by
the bureaus more than $17000.000.
The past year was an important
one in the history of our naval con-
struotion." says Secretary Morton.
Never before were so many warships
launched by this or any other nation
in one year. Vessel for vessel and
type for type I believe our new ships
| will compare favorably with those of
any navy afoat, and every American
should be proud of the progress and
character of work now being accom-
plished, not only in construction. but
in all branches of the service. New
ships necessarily require more officers.
more marines and more enlisted men,
and the appropriations are quite likely
to increase steadily for some years to
come The more ships we have the
greater our fixed charges will be and
the greater our facilities necessarily
must be, In the way OF yards and
DOCKS and the ability to make re-
pairs and take proper care of the
| fleet. 1t is just as essential TO keep
our ships in thorough repair as 1t is
to build them In the first place, and
to permit them to run down for any
| length OF time and go without repairs
would be the hight Of folly. It costs
a great deal of money to keep the
fleet moving In maneuvers and target
| practice, but this Is the only way Off
GERS and men can gain experience at
sea; and 1t is our well-defned policy
to maintain a high standard Of eff
cheney throughout the service. Prac-
| tice makes perfect in the navy, as
| everywhere else.
Plea for Crack Navy.
Last year the navy cost little over
a dollar per capita. II cost little COM
pared to what war would cost, and 1t
| Is the best insurance we have against
style and sand that no other navy
will ever desire an engagement with
| us. 1t is our greatest exhibit in favor
| OF peace We are bound to occupy a
| prominent position among the great
nations Of the earth, and while doubt
! less we shall always be in the lead in
| every international movement to pro-
| mote peace, it Is much better for US
| to be at all times so well prepared
| for war that war will never come. /
am sure that the people of the United
States will approve of a navy that is
well prepared at all times to take care
! of their defenses and to protect their
| position In the world. This Is all we
| are trying to accomplish"
1T is useless to build ships unless
| provision is made to man, care for,
and use them The best results will
surely be obtained by keeping ships
and men at work developing efficiency
| in all the lines OF active service. Most
| OF our ships and all of our shore sta
tions are now short of officers, and
| with the completion Of vessels under
construction this condition will become
| more serious. The deficiency of off,
| GERS is not limited to the line alone,
| but is felt in every corps of the serv-
| Ice.
BattIeships VS.. Torpedo Boats.
"The lessons of the war In the East
| thus far are the same as those OF
the Spanish war with respect to the
relative value and uses of battleships.
| torpedo boats and destroyers. Weight
of metal heavy guns and hard hitting.
whether at long or short range. still do
the most effective work. The day of
the battleship is not over. and the
sphere Of the lighter vessels, while inn
portant, is auxiliary only"
These conclusions. the result of the
aE 4
present conditions, in the light of the
events Of the last few months In East
ern seas, confirm the Presidents views.
"Preparednessv for War.
"A navy is costly" the Secretary
says, but war Is more SO. The chief
object of our navy Is to prevent war.
On the subject of preparedness the
chief Of the Bureau Of Navigation
says:
Although II is still too early to
draw final conclusions from the war
In the Far East. one cardinal mili-
tary principle has received new and
striking confirmation. that is prepared
ness and the swiftness of action which
can be successful only with thorough
preparedness. Readiness for immediate
action on the outbreak of war requires
that the whole field shall have first
been maturely considered, and that all
probable operations and contingencies
shall have been suitably provided for
down to the smallest detail whose need q
can be foreseen.'
Young Men for Action.
In discussing the personnel OF the
navy the Secretary says: The aver
age age OF the captains OF our battle
ships Is now 81 years. In the Eng
lish and German navies the average
age of captains Is as. nearly ten years
less. The captains commanding the
fve heaviest Japanese ships now In
service average ASA years Of age. A
naval officer who Is not competent TO
command at the age OF 45 probably
never will be. The condition OF our
own service In this particular promises
to grow rapidly worse instead OF bet
ter In consequence OF the large influx
OF officers into the lower, without corr
responding increase in the upper
grades. These unfortunate conditions
are not confined 10 the captains list,
but extend below 20 commanders and
above 10 flag officers. Considering that
future wars must be waged by young
officers. the chief OF the Bureau of
Navigation suggests that all captains
upon reaching the age OF 90 be rctir-
ed. that this age limit be decreased
one year for each two years from the
passage Of the act until the age limit
becomes 81. that this limit be reduced