The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-16


 to their defeat.
 No one today knows the truth and significance of this better than the very men who. from year to year. have gone out from the naval academy to officer the ships. They are we'll aware that the American people imbuei with this overconhdence, are pinning their faith to bent reed.
 The American navy today is up to date in no essential condition with the possible exception of target practice.
 It has availed the expert technical man In the Navy Department little to oppose an untechnical Congress and a powerful lobby of those interested tn the construction of so-called war ves- sells.
 More than 275 ships of all descrip- tions-including torpedo boats of all classes but leaving sout all vessels now under construction-appear on the navy register. It is a sad commentary to the capable navy onicer when he realizes that of this big fleet there are in reality only about twenty nine ships that are capable of going into a bat tie. This. of course, does not include the fifty-five torpedo boats. which are no longer regarded as fighting mate rial by experts in naval warfare.
 Real Fighting Force.
 Following is a table which will show the real fighting force of the navy:
 Eight frst-class battleships of mod arn construction and equipment.
 Four battleships of more or less ob- solete type but still capable of engag- ing an enemy.
 TWO armored cruisers of modern construction.
 Five protected cruisers capable of service as scouts.
 Giving the torpedo fleet the benefit of the doubt, and including all vessels of this class in the fighting force of the navy, 1t will be found that out of a total of PTS vessels only S4 cun be depended upon in a war with a first class power.
 From these figures it becomes ap- parent that there are now on the navy list nearly 200 vessels that under no circumstances could be made available for fighting, and yet these are the very ships that eat up all of the generous appropriations granted to the Navy Department for repairs.
 And now there is another vital ques- ton concerning the welfare of the navy that can not be overlooked; that is the question of recruiting. When the truth has all been told about the manner of inducing men to enlist in the service, it can certainly reflect lit- tie credit to the country.
 Recruits are brought into the ser vice every day under false pretenses. If the same methods were pursued In civil life those who did so would rem der themselves amendable to the law.
 There IS no denying the fact that the young American has little regard for the oath he takes at enlistment, though it must be admitted that the conditions he is forced to meet have tendency to destroy his regard for the solemnity oe an oath. He argues that having been enticed into the service by promises that are never fulfilled, his only remedy is to practice all kinds of deception.
 Those who do not take the law into their own hands and desert, rarely re- enlist and as 9 modern man -of-wars man cannot be made in a day, the navy finds itself manned by landsmen and apprentices. Just about the time the sailor is fairly well trained, his term of enlistment expires and out of the service he goes. Another trusting young American is decoyed into taking his place. One out of every five en- listed man deserts.
 In Japan, which in this instance may be accepted as a model of an efficient fighting sea force, men clamor to en- list. Those who get into the service of the Mikado are considered very for tunate. No matter how meager the pay, they are made to feel that they are a part of the big machine that goes to sea to defend the nation Pun ishments In the Japanese navy are so rare that they excite no end of com ment. As for assertions, they are al- most unknown.
 For all the evils existing in the navy there must be remedies. In the ser vice are many efficient officers who are coEnizant of all these condition Many have expressed the opinion that the evils will exist until a radically different system of inspection has been adopted.
 From the very moment of their ad- mission to the naval academy young officers are intimidated and brow beaten by their seniors. They are taught that 1t is fatal to criticise their superiors.
 The navy costs the people many mill lions of dollars annually and they have a right to an efficient one, but they don't get it. Form, ceremony. red tape and circumlocution take the place of honest business methods in It's con- duct The Navy Department rtnG, which is always close to the Secretary is the stumbling block m the way or the much-needed reforms.
 The people deserve something better than to be Iulled into a false sense of security by specially prepared reports and statements, junketing trips to witness grand reviews; launchings to pull the wool over the eyes of indiher- ent and unsuspecting Congressmeh Here Is a remedy for a great many Of the existing evils: Appoint a real in- spection board composed of officers an5 civilians.
 Exercise more care in recruiting and make the life of the sailorman less like that of a convict
 Give him more liberty and do not decoy him into the service on false pretenses. Let him have more justice ~mm-~n-~