Norwich bulletin., 1909-12-08


 sides the beneficial and farreaching eff feet on our personal and diplomatic re- lations in the countries which the fleet vised, the marked success of the ships in steaming around the world in all weathers on schedule time has in- creased respect for our navy and has added to our national prestige.
 Our enlisted personnel recruited from all sections of the country is young and energetic and representative of the national spirit It is, moreover, owing to it's intelligence, capable of quick training into the modern man. of-war's men. Our officers are earnest and zealous in their profession, but it is a regrettable fact that the higher officers are old for the responsibilities of the modern navy, and the admirals do not arrive at flag rank young enough to obtain adequate training in their duties as flag officers. This need for reform in the navy has been ably and earnestly presented to congress by my predecessor, and I also urgently recommend the subject for considera- tion.
 Early in the coming session com prehensive plan for the reorganiza- tion of the officers of all corps of the navy will be presented to congress, and I hope it will meet with action suited to its urgency.
 Owing to the necessity for economy in expenditures, have directed the curtailment of recommendations for naval appropriations so that they are thirty-eight millions less than the cor responding estimates of last year, and the request for new naval construction is limited to two first class battleships and one repair vessel.
 The use of a navy is for military purposes, and there has been found need in the department of 6 military branch dealing directly with the mili- tary use of the fleet. The secretary of the navy has also felt the lack of responsible advisers to aid him in reaching conclusions and deciding i'm portant matters between coordinate branches of the department. To se- cure these results he has inaugurated tentative plan involving certain changes in the organization of the navy department, including the navy yards, all of which have been found by the attorney general to be in ac- cordance with law 1 have approved the execution of the plan proposed be- cause of the greater efficiency and economy it promises.
 The generosity of congress has pro- vided in the present naval observatory the most magnificent and expensive as- tronomfcal establishment in the world. It is being used for certain naval pur- poses which night easily and adequate ly be subserved by a small division connected with the navy department at only a fraction of the cost of the present naval observatory. The of ficial board of visitors established by congress and appointed iE 1901 ex- pressed it's conclusion that the official , head of the observatory should be an eminent astronomer appointed by the president by and with the advice and consent of the senate, holding his place by a tenure at least as perma- ! nent as that of the superintendent of tine coast survey or the head of the geological survey and not merely by a detail of two or three years dura- tion. I fully concur in this judgment and urge a provision by law for the appointment of such a director.
 It may not be necessary to take the observatory out of the navy depart ment and put it into another depart ment in which opportunity for sci entifc research afforded by the ob- servatory would seem to be more .ap- propriate, though I believe such a transfer in the long run is the best policy. I am sure, however, 1 express the desire of the astronomers and those learned in the kindred sciences when ! urge Ipon congress that the naval observatory be now dedicated to sci ence under control of a man of sci cnce who can. if need be, render all i the service to the navy department which this observatory now renders ana still furnish to the world the dis ! coveries in astronomy that great as- i tronomer using such a plant would be l likely to make.
 Department of Justiee-Expedtion In 1 Legal Procedure.
 l The deplorable delays in the admin ktration of civil and criminal law have received the attention of committees of i the American Bar association and of many state bar associations, as well as the considered thought of judges and i jurists. In my judgment, a change in i judicial procedure, with view to re- ducing its expense to private litigants [ in civil cases and facilitating the dis patch of business and final decision in | both civil and criminal cases, consti- can institutions. I do not doubt for one moment that much of the lawless violence and cruelty exhibited in lynch ings are directly due to the uncertain ties and injustice growing out of the delays in trials, judgments and the exc cutions thereof by our courts. Of course these remarks apply quite as well to the administration of justice in state courts as to that in federal courts, and without making invidious distinction it is perhaps not too much to say that, speaking generally, the de fleets are less in the federal courts than in the state courts. But they are very great in the federal courts. The expedition with which business is dis