The San Francisco call., 1904-06-08
ENGLAND'S NEW WARSHIPS
ARE NOT COMFORTABLE
Admiral Sir Cyprian Bridge Severely Criti-
cizeS the Lack of Accommodations for
the Officers and Men in Modern Vessels

not quite 29 years of age. His service
record TO date is six years five months
sea service, three years two months
shore service and two months unem-
ployed. He was with his father on the
Iowa at the Santiago fight July 3, 1898,
and he has been serving as aid on the
staff Of his father on the Kentucky
during the two years service in Phil
ippine waters. He has had an excellent
tutor, and the Indifferent record he
made at the naval academy may have
compelled the necessity for extra care
in developing the qualities of a good
naval officer. His standing at the an
nual examinations were as follows:
In the fourth class Of 60 members he
was number 30; in the third class Of
55, number 3S; in second class of 40,
number 2S; first class of %, number 20,
and in graduating class of 81 he stood
number 81. 1t frequently happens that
mediocre students develop into good
all around naval officers, and such may
be the. case of Franck T. Evans. He
succeeds Lieutenant G. F. Preston, who
has commanded the Sylph since April,
1902. and who stands 209 numbers
higher on the register than Lieutenant
Evans.
REWARDS FOR DESERTERS.
There is another mooted point of law,
the legality Of which is questioned,
namely, the right of the Navy Depart
ment 10 withhold from enlisted men the
rewards and other expenses incurred
for the apprehension of deserters. Up
to 1897 there was no such charge on
the books against the men; in 1898 the
amount was $685. but for the year
1902-03 it had increased to $27, 7,629, and
the total for six years foots up TO SOL
002. AS to pay forfeited through court
martial sentences, the amount has
risen from $1S446 in 1894, to nearly
$50. 900 in 1903; pay forfeited through
unauthorized absence has increased
from $7414 in 1894, to $27 1874 in 1903 and
deserters have forfeited 1884 and $751;
600 during the years of 1884 and 1908,
respectively. The total pay forfeited
by sentence Of courtmartial amounts
to 1886, 600 in round numbers during the
period Of ten years; desertion pay for
feited makes a total of $443, 000 loss of
pay by unauthorized leave s176.571, all
which detailed accounts with that of
apprehension Of deserterS makes a
grand total Of 81 ,056, ,494 lost TO the en-
listed men. No data are available as
to the pay lost to officers through suS-
pension for various periods or dismiss
ais from the service by sentence of
cOurtmartial, but it is fair TO assume
that the courts dealt out justice in the
same manner TO officers as was meted
out to the enlisted force of sailors and
marines.
Taking in consideration the fact that
the total enlisted force has increased
from 11100 in 1894 to 35.554 in 1903, the
comparative showing Of increase in
forfeited pay does not indicate that the
morale of the navy is deteriorating. In
1894 the pay lost by the men was $49,
317, equal to $4.44 per head; in 1903
the total was $197, ,036, or S5.54 to each
man of the force allowed by law, and
approximately up to the number. This
would show an apparent increase of
$110 per capita, but this is due to the
fact that the pay OF the enlisted men
has been increased since 1894 There
is undoubtedly room for Improvement
in the enlisted force, to be effected
either through individual effort or
through less stringent application of
the rules of discipline. but, on the
whole, there is a vast Improvement on
the enlisted personnel of twenty years
ago.
The keel Of the battleship Vermont
was laid May 20 at the Fore River
shipyard. Quincy, Mass, which firm is
also building the battleships New Jer-
sey and Rhode Island. The Vermont
and Minnesota, sister ships, were au-
thoriZed March 3, 1903, and the con-
tracts signed June 20, 1903. the ships to
be completed by December 90. 1906. or
in forty-two months. The Minnesota is
being built at Newport News and is
nearly one-quarter completed, while
the Vermont has not yet reached 10
per cent toward completion. There
has been no increased activity in
pushing work on Government con-
tracts during the past six months and
with the present labor troubles at the
Fore River yards the concern will be
left far behind in the race by the
Newport News.
A GRAVEYARD QUESTION.
Captain W. H. Brownson, superin-