The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-15
4 Reply Prepared.


The replj, Of the War Den, rtn,on, b,,
been prepared by n special cnmnj,,ea ,'',t ~
the general staff, and In tr.,,sn,tt,ad a.
oseretary Taft by Lieutena nj General
Ihahee chief of staff This report stated
mat Two sizes of merchant steamsh,na
arc desirable for transport service sh,,s
OF e.op tons. and OF $500 tons eross
.agister-vessels OF medium dimensions
me speed which both the Navy and the
var departments have determined as
uesirnblc for troop transport IA n sns
tained sea rate OF i2 knots
70 make this speed with certainty ana
Win economy as to coal corsiimptton
says the present report. '.tiIe sirips should
be designed for trial speed slightly IL
excess OF 12 knots
Steamships of 6.5D and of $500 .ots
are preferred because ''it is conceded 10
be Indispensable to the best results that
each ship shall carry tactical unit Of
troops wicn It's complete equipment and
supplies
This tactical unit is the Infantry rerl-
Inant or battalion of engineers. n bat
TALON OF infantry, a squadron of cav
airy etc.
To Embark Division.
To embark a division would require
ten s.5oO-ton ships and nine 5,50O-ton
f1'hpF'' NiNh vic pItStHL strength OF the
regular army two such divisions could
be made ready to embark In fifteen DAYS.
hence twenty of the large and eighteen
OF the smaller ships available in fifteen
days would be sufficient for such an eN-
pedition AS such All expedition may be
necessary from either the Atlantic or
Pacific coast. the report urges that
there should be on each side n number
of suitable ships afloat, but II engaged
I'm foreign trade 1t is not probable that
one-third OF those in either ocean could
he obtained and made ready In fifteen
days
Assuming this ratio says the re-
port of the general staff. 'it follows that
TO provide suitable ships for a rapid
movement OF two divisions from either
coast there should be not less than sixty
of the larger and ffty-four OF the
smaller size afloat In Atlantic and the
same in Pacific waters, or one hundred
and twenty OF the larger and one hum
dred and eight of the smaller size in
all, an aggregation OF two hundred and
twenty-eght vessels
The report declares that no such fleet
as would be needed for an overseas ex-
pedition could be furnished out OF the
present resources OF the American mer-
chant marine.
me olIlCldl List. 3.sssa
'sThe official list" 1t points out, ..of
merchant vessels for 1904 shows fifty
seven sea-going ships of 4.0O0 gross tons
and upwards. with an aggresate tonnage
of 10000 This includes the very fast At
lantic liners which would doubtless be
required for the navy for scouts. and also
some very large ships which would not
he generally serviceable. OF these ships
eight are substantially of the smaller
and nine OF the larger size described. The
Others vary In size and proportion to
such an extent rs to make 1t unsafe 70
adopt factors smaller than four gross
Tons per man and ten per animal In
gauging their capacity With two factors
tho division would require 1l6,GOO gross
tons of Transports and two divisions
the force previously discussed as n first
expedition to be dispatched NJ once, will
require $4,000 gross tons selected from
this list of ships.
Sin short to strike the quick blow OF
!, force corresponding to our permanent
military establishment, would require
practically all the American shipping OF
suitable character. In Atlantic waters and
more than the entire tonnage In the
Pacific waters. TIhere needs no argu-
ment to show that this transport SER
vice could not be procured In fifteen
days. 1t is doubtful whether it can be
procured at all. except by impressment
and ina period OF six months or more !"
The Santiago Expedition.
Tho report frankly crlticises the San
tiago expedition. in 1898. Every Ameri-
can vessel that could be obtained In the
Atlantic ports. during the twenty days
following the declaration of war was
chartered-n fleet of thirty-six vessels,
averaging 2.EOo tons. only two of them
over 4.0O0 tons. %
'',rhe official records afford ample PROOF
that the safe qrrival was due TO the
good fortune Of continued fine weather."
1t says, IA severe gale encountered
would have scattered the fleet, probab-
ly with great loss of life, and would
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