The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-05
UNCLE SANS NAVY
LEADS THE W0RLD D.
continued from First PAGE.


also, as contributory measure of re-
lief, that officers whose service is re-
strlcted by law to shore duty only be
made extra numbers in the grades of
commander and captain. The interests
OF the service are paramount in such
matter. and 1 believe that action
should be taken to place younger men
IN positions of command as soon as
way can be found to do so that does
not involve injustice or impose un-
necessary hardship upon officers whose
long and worthy service entities them
to consideration
All commissioned officers of the
navy are citizens of the United States.
OF the total enlisted force, number
ing 29,321, so per cent. are native born,
II per cent. naturalized, giving, there
fore, 81 per cent. as citizens of the
United States.
Savings by Enlisted Men.
Five years ago Congress authorized
the receipt and care of the savings of
enlisted men in the navy when de-
posted in sums of not less than IS
with the paymaster upon whose books
their accounts are borne, money so
deposited not to be subject to forfeit
ure by sence of court-martial, but to
be forfeited by desertion; not to be
paid until final payment on discharge;
to be paid to heirs or representative
of a deceased sailor; to be exempt
from liability for the sailors debts;
and final repayment to be guaranteed
by the government, with interest on
all sums so deposited for the period
of six months or longer, at the rate of
per cent. per annum. Under this
| provision the deposits of savings by
| seamen during the last year amounted
| to $575, 094.9S; the repayments were
| $67,S6S.95, leaving a total amount to
the credit of the fund on June 80, 1904
of $3.50 O2O2S. The interest at 4 per
! cent. per annum upon repayments
amounted to $39,294.59. 1t thus ap-
pears that enlisted men of the navy
| have deposited their savings with
the government in sums aggregating
more than half a million dollars, up
on which they are paid interest.
The Navy List.
The additions to the effective force
| of the navy by the completion of YES
sells building under contract and at
navy yards during the year consist
of the battleship Missouri, the protect
| ed sheathed cruisers Denver, Des
Moines, Tacoma, and Cleveland, one
| torpedo boat, and two tugboats. The
| battleship Ohio was brought to a state
near completion before the end of the
year and will be ready to go into COM
mission at an early date. The single
| turreted monitors Lehigh, Nahant,
| Montauk, and Jason were sold. The
single-turreted monitor Canonicus was
also stricken from the register. The
following vessels were launched be-
tween Dec. 1, 1903, and Nov. 20, 1904
Charleston, protected cruiser; Vir-
ginia, battleship; California, armored
cruiser Rhode Island, battleship;
South Dakota, armored cruiser; Du-
buque, gunboat; Cumberland, training
ship; Louisiana, battleship; Milwaukee,
protected cruiser; Connecticut, battle
ship; Nebraska, battleship; Intrepid,
| training ship; Georgia, battleship; Pa
| ducah, gunboat; Boxer, training brig
| antine.
The NaVy's Fuel.
During the year 49S,576 tons of coal
were used on board ships of the navy.
| OF this quantity 206,34S tons were sent
to naval coal depots, the greater
| portion being shipped to the Asiatic
| Station. There were transported in
chartered vessels 131,14 tons, while u.s.
20S tons were shipped in naval golfers.
Arrangements for the supply of ships
of the navy with coal through Ameri-
can agents in seventy-six foreign ports
have been effected.
AS the United States produces As
| per cent. of the worlds output of Pc
| troleum, and as the Texas, California,
| and other oil fields are near to mari
time ports and possible scenes of ma
| val operations, the question of utiliz-
| ing liquid fuel on ships of war, which
has for some years been engaging the
| attention of naval experts abroad, is
one of peculiar interest to this coun-
try.
Wireless Telegraphy.
The work of installing wireless tele-
| graph stations on shore and on ships
| has continued during the year. BY
permanent stations established at
| Cape Elizabeth, Me-. Portsmouth, N.
H.; Cape Ann, Boston, and Cape Cod,
Mass; by lightships on Nantucket
Shoal; by stations at Montauk Point,
l.. l.; the navy yard, New York; the
Highlands of Navesink, N. j.; Annap-
| oils, Md; Washington, D. c.; Norfolk
and Cape Henry, Va, and Key West,
| Dry Tortugas and Pensacola, Fla, a
| chain of communication between our
| Atlantic and Gulf coasts and vessels
at sea will be established.
The stations at Pensacola and Key
| West are to be equipped with long
| distance apparatus, and the contract
for their installment provides for a
| maximum range of communication of
about 1000 miles, so as to include Por-
to Rico, Guantanamo bay and the
| Panama canal zone. Stations have also
been established at Mare Island and
Yerba Buena Island. Cal. and at the
Farallon Islands, off the Golden Gate,
CAL; also at Honolulu and Guam, and
at Cavite and Cabras Island, P. I.
In view of its uses in the national
defenst, wireless telegraphy should re-
main under public control; but this
power should be so exercised es not
to interfere more than is necessary
with private interests.
The Marine Corps.
The force of marines on brigade duty
in the Philippines now consists Of 40
officers and 1897 enlisted men. In
the canal zone at Panama there are 10
officers and 440 enlisted men. Detach-
ments Of marines are also stationed in
Porto Rico, Guantanamo Cuba, Alas
ka, Hawaii, Guam, the Midway Islands
and elsewhere beyond the continental
limits of the United States.
For such duty. for service at navy
yards and on board naval vessels in
commission, the present aggregate
force of the corps, 27S officers and T.
532 enlisted men, is insufficient. Estl-
mates have been submitted for an in
crease, rendered necessary to enable
the corps to meet the present demands
of the service.