The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-12
Requiem ents Of the NAVY.

To rHE EDITOR or THE SUN SIR, With
reference TO the discussion now on in your
columns relative to the navy. and especially
the remark made by Justice" in the paper
Of to-day about the III effect OF the act OF
Aug. 3. 1852 whereby ls5 cadets we're dropped
from the navy list would like TO draw nj
tention 10 the fact that on two several occa-
sions bills have been introduced in tho Con
gress with the intcnt to restore to the navy
"a many Of those 1856 men as are alive capable
and willing Senate BIZ 2.5ij. present Con-
gross, is the last OF these bills. | believe. but
no one seems to be pushing il, in fact. Mr.
Moody. when Secretary OF the Navy. rather
discountenanced than otherwise this bill, so
l understand
Tint the navy is suffering for the want OF
officers an example viii show. Some twenty
years ago one Of our wooden tubs sailed from
this harbor With seventeen line and en- gneer
officers Jan J. 1907. the battlcship Kearsarge.
with nearly ten times the tonnage Of that old
tub has but sixteen line and cngineer officers
commissioned aud four warrant mAchinlsts
tie tub also had few machinists on her how
many I do not know. The same disparity
appears 10 obtain In all our ships Watch
IN four watches. with drills in the forenoon
ana afternoon. kept officers busy on that old
tub what must be the condition OF things
on our present under Differed ships2 Human
strength cannot stand the strain required
70 keep the ships Up 10 their proper efficiency
where the ship il under differed and the
turning out OF half-b baked or less than half
baked midshipmen does not appear 10 be
Just the best way Of mending matters Vet
the Congress provides no other way
Having gone through the mill myself and
now having proper perspective. | can per
ceive that. even with the full four years Of
study and with tho requirements on board
ship far lcss eXaCtnR then than they now
are "a concerns machinery, g1tnueTV and
naYi CATION. the fun fOu- years at Annapolis
were none too much To-day there exists
even greater necessity for thorough training
of the lnidshipmen before they are turned
loose but are they getting that more thor
ough traininRy / have no doubt whatever
that the Instructors arc doing their level best:
but III the middlca. that IT, some Of them have /
the notion that they are Indispensable 10 tho /
navy and the graduation of them in january /
SOL what is likely to be the effect upon dis 1
cipiine and effl1cncyY Would Il be surpris- |
ing ? history should repeat ITSELF Has any |
cause or nation ever benefited through the |
services Of those who deemed themselves |
ind suensahlc 10 that nation or causes
The srdfters OF Russia are saving to-day /
that the NutocraCy must be Kept up IL Russia |
Us 10 prosper. They consider themselves !
necessary suppose that under present /
many are graduated AZ AnuaDo-
-bllErd long before they reached the second /
class year. VIII TINT help efficiency or will /
n do otherwise suppose, further, that the 1
lower holf Of class serves notice upon the
must not do Wei In their Rotations and |
an the theory that more will I
get through II he upper men weaken "a bite I
What sort Of % navy will there be under such /
roudition-' Is or is not tQat a trade union"
GH,prATE Up rHR NAVAL ACADEMY.
NEW NOHK Jan 10