Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-27

| ONE
Maine disaster. In her cabin the sessions of
| the inquiry We're held.
| There have been rumOrs to the erect that
| several state naval militia organizations
have been DESTROYS of securing the FERN as
| a training ship, but t is stated that the
| Navy Department will probably discard the
| vessel rather than send ii out In It's present
| condition, which, il is stated, Is even pettet
than when the vessel was first assigned TO
the District battalion five years ago
Improving the Navy.
| The giving of the Puritan to the DIS
trict tackles" is a sort of experiment
entered into after careful consideration,
with the purpose of testing the develop
ment and progress that may be made by
the naval militia If equipped with proper
ships and afforded adequate facilities Tor
training in seamanship and naval affairs
The experiment is also entered into with
the idea of increasing the numerical
strength of the naval militia of the coun-
try.
The problem before the department Of
| ficials is that of securing sufficient men
to properly man the ships of the United
| States navy. To adequately man the ships
| now built and in course of construction
| for the American navy, 1T Is stated, over
| $4,000 seamen are required AT present
| 81 800 men are authorized by law. For
| number of years past 5000 additional
| seamen have been authorized annually,
| 1000 less than has been desired. 1t has
| not been deemed practicable, however, II
| is stated, to increase the number to 4,O00
| annually, on account of the present limited
| facilities for training the men. The navy
| is getting the ships, but 1t is not get
| ting the seamen to man them. There
| is a deficiency of seamen every year,
| and while the number of ships con-
| tinues to increase and the number OF new
| enlistments does not increase in proper
ton there is a constantly widening gap
in the naval personnel.
Assistant Secretary Darling's Purpose.
| Assistant Secretary C. H. Darling of the
| Navy Department has taken up the prob
| lem of adequately manning the ships of
| the United States navy and has turned to
| the naval militia of the country with the
| hope that in this organization VIII be
| found the solution of the perplexing
| question. From his interest in the naval
militia and his inauguration of this new
policy with respect to that organization
Mr. Darling has been given the title of
The Father of the New Naval Militia"
| To that official is ascribed the credit for
| the recent movement.
The new policy contemplates a decided
| change from the former treatment of the
naval militia, and it is proposed in the
| future not to give the organizations old,
discarded vessels. but to give them the
best ships available" The loaning of the
Puritan to the District is the first step in
| that regime.
| 1t is stated that A. per cent of the men
who have enlisted in the naval battalion OF
the District of Columbia since 1898 have
gone into the service of the United States
navy.
! With the carrying out of Assistant Sec
rotary Darling's new policy toward the
naval militia 1t Is considered that the Navy
| Department will have done its full part,
and then it will be up to the naval militia
organizations to make good" The depart
| ment will have done all that has been asked
| of it by the promoters of the naval militia
1 tla Ntrxy Il hG hn arm
| Of the state and District of Columbia naval
| orga nizations to see to 1t that the expert
ment undertaken by the government is
| justified and is productive of satisfactory
| results. To this end the District of Column
| bia battalion has resolved to work, and
| already the effects of prospective increased
| facilities and improved opportunities is
| being noted in the earnestness and bearing
| of the members of the battalion.
Result of Conference.
| The Naval Militia Association of the
| United States held a meeting in Washington
last January. and it was at that time that
| the differences which had existed between
the Navy Department and the naval militia
| for a decade past were settled. President
| Roosevelt Speaker Cannon, Secretary
| Moody, Assistant Secretary Darling, Rep
| resentative Foss chairman committee
| naval affairs of the House, Representative
Dayton, member of the committee on naval
| affairs, and the late Admiral Taylor all
| made addresses enthusiastic for the future
| upbuilding of the naval militia or the
| country.
| Curiously enough, the problem of secur-
| ing good material for the United States
| navy was not serious at the beginning
and early period of the country's history
| as it was at a later date and is today. The
| New Bedford whaling industry and the
| Gloucester cod and mackerel fisheries fur
| nished splendid material for the navy,
| New Bedford being not only nursery, but
| storehouse of naval heroes, fighters and
able seamen.
| According to ex-Secretary Long, Congress
| in 1887 was prompted to pass law enlist
| ing several hundred youngsters, who were
| placed on different vessels of the navy, but
| when the boys discovered they could not
| aspire to commissions they soon left the
| service.
| Speaking of this, ex-Secretary Long states
| that it taught the department lesson, and
in 1864, when Secretary Welles enlisted a
| number of small boys, he gave out the
| statement that they would receive COM
| missions. and afterward had a number. of
them sent to Annapolis.
Loan of Vessels Authorized.
Friends of the movement secured the pas
sage of an act of Congress authorizing the
loan of vessels to the naval militia, such
| as were not required in the general service
of the navy" The result of this was thar
| a fine lot of old wooden tubs that had seen
their best days and lay tenanted oy fa's
| md mice at the different navy yards were
| turned over TO the various naval militia
! bodies. The New York boys received the
| New Hampshire, those of Pennsylvania
| the St Louis the Wyandotte was placed
| at the disposal of the Maryland branch.
| the Nantucket went to North Carolina and
| the Swatara was assigned to the California
| hoys. Ancient and out-of-date old tubs as
| they were they were golden caravels In the
| ewes of the youngsters who formed the
| naval militia. and the care which they be-
/ slowed on these out-of-date hulks. while II
merited the praise, also excited the risibil-