Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-08-13
Movement Looking 10 Organization
IN This State nsy Soon be
InauguPaIed.
GET IN LINE With COAST STATES
Navy Department. Now Planning the
Greatest Naval Militia Display Ev-
: er Seen In AmcrIca-Great Lakes
i to be Scene Of Rendezvous--Thc
Vessels That VIII Take Part.

WASHINGTON, d. c.. August -
Plans have just been completed by
tho Navy Department for the largest
naval militia display perhaps ever
seen In the United States. This Will
be the formidable array of war.dogs
on the Great Lakes. with the Wolvcr.
inc rs flagship. accompanied by all
the other ships used in the naval mil
tia service of the Northwest.
Acting Secretary Ncwbcrry has
been invited by the joint naval mill.
tias to review the fleet and observe
tho manocuvers, hut lie has found II
impossible to accept the invitation,
owing to the absence of Secretary
Mctcalf In California. In his place
Captain John NJ. Bowyer. his naval
mid. Will represent the Navy Depart
ment.
Captain Bower has been appointed
the senior officer OF special board
OF inspection and survey, to make a
the fleet, and will also review the ma
Ioeuvers.
Tho other officers OF this board are
Naval Constructor and Captain Red.
grave, retired Tho board will meet
Mt Detroit August 9. and inspect the
Yantic. of tho Michigan naval mill.
Tin. From that place they will pro
coed to Macinac Island and inspect
the flagship Wolverine. The mnnoeu.
vera VIII commence the day follow
Ing,
Another board has also been mp.
pointed whose special duty will be 20
instruct the naval militia soldiers In
whatever points they may iM lacking,
and to generally assist them in their
manoeuvcrs.
+ The Vessels That VIII Take Part
Tho vessels that will take part In
the drills are: United States steam
ship Wolverine. gunboat Ironclad. tho
navy's representative on tho Great
Lakes. Llcutcnnnt. Commander Wi.
liam III. Harrison, u. S. NJ. comman.
der; gunboat Gopher. OF tho Mime,
sofa State naval militia. tho head
quarters OF which are ut Duluth: Com
mandcr Guy A. Eaton. OF the Mime
sofa naval battalion, commanding
gunboat Essex, Ohio. with hcadlunr
tors Mt Toledo. LieutenantC Command
err A. f. Nicklctt, OF the Ohio State
naval militia, commanding; gunboat
Hawk, Ohio, headquarters mt Clevcl
and, Lieutenant Commander +. n.
Seaman, commanding; gunboat Dero.
thea, Illinois headquarters nj Chi.
cago. Captain A. W. Purdy. OF the
Illinois State naval militia, commands
ing.
1t Is the purpose of the govern.
ment, 40 far as possible. to build IN
its naval militia to force amount,
Ing to 10000 men. Two bills are now
before Congress looking to that end
one the ship subsidy bin proper and
tho other known ma bill to Increase
the naval militia force OF the United
States. Both OF these will be pushed
this winter.
Want Virginia Naval Reserve.
For long time the Department
has been unable to understand why
no naval militia organizations have
not been formed In Richmond, Ports
mouth. Norfolk, Newport News aud
other places In Virginia. That State
is now the only one on the Atlantic
coast having no such organizations
North Carolina. South Carolina and
all the others have splendid organizn
tons, and will, this summer. take
their cruises in ships furnished them
Tor that purpose by the government
1t is moro than probable that q