Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-01
NAVAL CHANGES SUGGESTED
Two Fleets to Ps Created for Use on
Atlantic and aoifo
MARINES MAY BE TAKEN FROM SHIPS
Admiral Converse Makes Annual RE-
port and Suggests that Two
Vice Admirals should he
Created for Fleets.

Created for Fleets.
WASHINGTON, Nov. SO-The completed
plans for the organization Of the hghtlng
vessels Of the navy in two fleets for service
on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts OF the
United States in such manner that the
whole force may readily be mobilized in
cases OF emergency is announced by Rear
Admiral Converse, chief of the bureau Of
navigation of the Navy department in his
annual report made public today. The
concentration Of the battle fleet in the
American waters and the assignment of all
vessels therein to the command of one nag
officer, will be completed about January 1
next. Rear Admiral Converse said that
owing to responsibilities in the Philippines
and the far east generally an adequate
naval force is needed In the Pacific ocean.
The assignment OF the ships of the battle
line to Atlantic waters and Of cruisers and
gunboats to Pacinc waters, is in ac-
cordance with prudent strategic require
ments.
Tentative Assignments.
The tentative assignment Of vessels is
as follows:
Atlantic Fleet-First squadron, first di-
vision; Connecticut. Louisiana, Maine,
Missouri
Second division: Georgia, New Jersey,
Second squadron, third division: Alabama,
Illinois, Kearsarge, Kentucky.
Fourth division: Ohio Indiana.
Third squadron, nth division: Tennessee,
Washington, st. Louis
Sixth division Columbia, Des Moines,
Fourth squadron, seventh division: Dixie,
! Marietta, Newport, Don Juan de Austria.
Eighth division: Prairie, Dubuque, Padu-
The seventh and eighth divisions will be
| held in reserve when their services are no
longer required for police and patrol duty
ships in Reserve.
! In reserve: Texas, Brooklyn.
! Second torpedo fotilla; Hopkins, Law
renee, MacDonough, Whipple, TFuXan'
Third torpedo hotilla: Wilkes Biakely'
| DE Long, Rodgers Stockton. ss-
Asiatic Fleet-First sqadron, first diyis-
ion: West Virginia, Maryland Pennsyl'
I SECOND division. Baltimore, Chattanooga,
| Galveston, Cincinnati. ,,
Second squadron, third division: Raleigh.
! Concord, Helena, Wilmington. ,
| Fourth division: Callao, Ell Cano' Qulros'
Coast defense: Monterey, Monadnock
| First torpedo fotillai BainbridBe' barIy'
/ Dale, Chauncey, Decatur. ,- 1,,,-
ton, Milwaukee, Albany, New Orleans Orleans noe
! Second division Chicago, yorktown bos-
''Ft Fourth torpedo Hotilla: Preble, Paul
Jones, Perry, Farragut, Goiosoorous"'
Rowan.
At an early date 1t is expected that the
! Asiatic fleet and the Pacific squadron Will
be merged into one Pacific feet under the
supreme command Of a nag officer OF the
highest rank in the same manner as the
Atlantic feet is now, organized. s-
rho bureau OF navigation is making every
ordeavor to secure a battleship strength OF
sixteen I'm the Atlantic feet, divided into
two souadrons, which will furnish every
onportunItv for the practice of battle tao
tics and will enable the higher ofhcers 10
acquire facility in the exercise OF a large
Aeet and in maneuvering one homogeneous
squadron against another.
proposed Change for Marines
uoar Admiral Converse, chief OF the
bureau of navigation says in MS annua'
rsnort made public today that 1t has been
r,atter Of deep consideration to the
lbureau whether It would not add 10 Ihe
eAiciency of the navy service II marines
were withdrawn from all battleships' Inc
,daa OF the bureau is that the blueJacKets
are drawn from the same class as the ma
rines and are able to ethcienty perloi ~ y,
tha ser,,,ces now assigned to marines. 1t is
said that the presence OF marines suss So ~
- The enlisted men OF the navy that the
i CORNER Are there for police duty and their
,raserce freouently is resented Admiral
Concerse says:
T,bs bureau believes that the withdrawal
% marines from ships and the addition OF
a similar number m ebs OF sfseieneS Of a ship 5
crew by the increase In the numheI OF plue-
"a cSets available fer general duties; An
(accreased community of interest would re
INF and the removal of determinations
caused By differences OF pay ana IhiitoIH
and Inequalities in % dHJes aHe ,an,ent teSds
would also do away with an eieii'eil' 'e""-
The recognized value OF marines for man
otnst the naval bases ID our insular possess
hinS i 'ite end for service as expeditionary
forces in emergencies needing a protnpt re-
sponse will perhaps ado weight eig,it1 20 tne pu-
reau's statement OF present cohullioHS'
Nation May Pay for Junkets.
Congress will be asked by the bureau OF
ravigation TO make an appropriation for
oe1cIal entertainments on board naval yes
seIs when sent to foreign shores. 1t will
he argued that in their duty Of showing
ltha aaR and cultivating friendly and diplo-
r,ahc relations In foreign countries naval
oeacers are forced for the honor of their
serv,ice and the country to spend an appre-
cIable amount of their own pay for enter
tairments whose expenses should be borne
hy the government In other countries am
rie provision 10 made for such expense; ir
ours such provision Is seldom made and
! only on extraordinary occasions.
vice AdmirnIs Are Wanted.
rrhs Grade OF vice admiral will be re-
{ lived An the navy II the Navy department
. adonts the recommendation made by Real
, Adn,iral Converse. He says at least tive
: ,,,oe admiralships should be created for tn,
: commanders of the Atlantic and Asiat'
| aeets. who will soon have under them sub
) ordinate rear admirals and large mum