Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-17
OUR NAVAL PROGRESS
Chairman Foss Believes in
Systematic Development. ;
AN EFFICIENT PERSONNEL
Increase in Warships in Past Thir-
teen Years.
RELIANCE ON HIS JUDGMENT
Senate Committee Content to Accept
His Recommendations
fed for His Work.
BY WILLIAM r. CURTIS.


Written for The Star and the Chicago Record.
Herald.
. The naval appropriation bilk for the fis-
cal year 1903 carried about s1oS 900 600
the largest sum ever voted by Congress in
a single session during time of peace for
tne fleets of this nation-and nearly SIS
oooooo above the highest previous record
u provides for two new =, battleships a
year indefinitely, and Increases the paw
OF every officer in the navy fiat $500 a
year and the pay Of the enlisted men 10
per cent al round This will not only in
crease the fighting force butithe efficiency
OF the personnel. and will do much toward
retaining in the service valuable sailors
who are tempted. to resign ahd desert be-
cause they can earn so muchlhigher wages
George Edmund Foss representative
from the tenth district of Illinois. and
chairman of the naval committee of the
House of Representatives. does not be-
lfeve that We have reached the period in
our naval development where we can
safely stop. and he advocates modera te
and systematic increase of the fighting
strength of the navy by al least two bat
ueships year and not by spa smodic APP
Preparations for one ship one year. four
the next year and back to one again
The two ships we are authorizing this
year, of 10000 tons each. are equivalent
to four of the kind we we're building ten
has been Increased In much higher
ratio Mr.. Foss says.
Navy Never More Efficient.
"Our personnel was never more efficient
than today. The Spanish American war
developed the weaknesses of our navy,
while at the same time. it demonstrated
KS superiority Our hits in the battles
of that war were but a small percentage
of our shots but with the new system
OF target practice and with training and
discipline our gunnerS now making
the best records of any navy in the world
Nor has there ever been time when the
entire personnel of the navy was more in
telligent or was inspired by higher pa
triotism. truer esprit de corps Or a
greater ambition for excellence and su-
periority.
1.-The personnel of the enlisted men Of
the navy is constantly changing. for the
term of enlistment is only four years and
not more than one-four:h of the men re-
enlist. yet they so out into civil life with
splendid training and an education al
most as good as they could obtain in any
archaeological Institution, with a higher
standard of citizenship and a broader
view of their responsibilities and make
better citizens At the same time. they
constitute sort of civilian naval re-
serve to come forward whenever ma
tional emergency shall require their serv-
ices.
Few people realize the Value and i'm
portance of the navy an educational
Institution. The sailor of today is a me-
chanic and a machinist and an electri-
clan Our battleshipS are great floating
fortresses and machine shops, and a coun-
try boy who enlists becomes first an APP
prentice and then machinist and engi-
neer. During his term of enlistment he
has acquired trade that will always en-
able him to earn a living and command
much higher wages than he could have
done without that experience. or course,
his efficiency depends very largely on his
ability and intelligence and character. but
he has splendid chance to prepare him.
self for good trade as well AS useful
citizen And now that the pay OF the en-
listed men has been increased 10 per cent
there is even greater inducement TOT
BOYS to enter the navy.
admiral Farragut once said: There
are two things which make up navy
ships and men-but most important OF all.
the men.
Growth Of the Navy.
In 1000 the number of enlisted men in
the navy was 1880 and the number of
commissioned officers was 1.131. This year
there are 3,16i commissioned officers and
Congress has provided for 1000 men.
The number of cadets at the Naval Acad-
envy has been trebled and slUUo.OU has
been spent in new buildings and equip
ment for their education since Mr.. Foss
has been chairman of the committee on
naval affairs. The Marine Corps has been
doubled in numbers. In 1898, when the
personnel bill law was passed OF which
Mr. Foss had charge. there were 20 Off
GERS and 3.O73 men In the Marine Corps
The present appropriation bill provides for
:3.,S officers and 9,521 men.
The condition of the sailors has also
been greatly improved while Mr.. Foss
has been chairman of the naval commit
tee and the barriers have been broken
down so that the humblest apprentice boy
may now become a commissioned ofncer
and a future admiral. There are now
% ensigns and leutenants on the list of
officers who entered the service as APP
prentices and have worked their way up
by demonstrating their fitness for com
mand. The grade of warrant officer is
also open In all enlisted men. who, after
six years service. may be appointed chief
boat swains, chief gunners and chief ma
chinists. with the rank of ensign and pay
ranging from $1,000 to 500 year, &C
cording to the length of their service.
Very few people realize the strength and
the rapid growth of our navy We now
stand third in the order of nations. Great
Britain having 1.S.1 $40 tons, France 49,.
H. tons. the United States 171.7S5 tons.
Germany 6SO.6D2 tons, and Japan AL $40
tons And ii will not be long before We
will pass France and take the second
place in the list of nations.
Increase of Warships.
After the present bill becomes law we
will have built, building and authorized
$4,000 tons OF fighting ships. This will
represent the total tonnage of the Amer
lean navy and of that total $4,000 tons
have been authorized since Mr.. Foss be-
came q member of the committee on ma
val affairs of the fifty-fourth Congress in
December. 1895 and +S'sI6 tons have
been authorized since he became chair
man of the committee in 1900. This in
eludeS: