The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-12-14
Commander of Thetis.

AZ oIA1As CiCSOh] -NpfCAilDNA -V'
Capt. William V. E. Jacobs, commander
of the revenue cutter Manning, left this
morning for Port Townsend to assume
command Of the cutter Thetis and pro-
coed to Honolulu to remain during the
winter First Lieutenant o 'Malley,
executive officer of the Manning, is now
in command of the vessel, temporarily,
While no official announcement has been
made, a rumor is current that Capt.
Frederick G. Dodge, commander of the
cutter Forward, stationed at Key West,
Florida, is to be transferred to the Man
ming.
France in Naval Race.
WASHINGTON, November 26.-The
French admiralty, determined not to
be left in the rear in the race for sea
power. has laid down a comprehensive
plan for naval construction. Accord
ing to the Paris Matin, twelve dread
noughts will be built in the next six
wears. They will be of $4,000 tons
displacement and will have a speed of
twenty knots an hour and will be
equal, if not superior, to any battle
ship afoat. They will have, it is said,
the greatest attacking power of any
ship in existence at the time they are
laid down. Their secondary battery
win consist of eighteen guns, ten of
which will be of superior caliber to
any secondary battery used by the
ships of other countries. The vessels
are to be completed in three years.
Two ships of this class will be laid
down every year from 1910 on, so that
by 1915 France will possess nineteen
battleships. twelve of which will be of
the dreadnought type.
Radical Changes in Navy Yard Rule.
The Forthcoming report of the spe-
cial naval board, of which Rear-Ad-
miral Swift is the chairman, will, it IS
declared, submit recommendations to
the secretary of the navy that will
change greatly the operation of the
American navy yards. 1t is not known
definitely whether these recommends
tions advance the proposition that GER
tain navy yards be abandoned, but 1t
is generally believed that consolidation
is advocated The officials of the navy
department refuse to give any idea
what the report will he, but experts
are of the opinion that concentration
will be the burden of the report, this
meaning greater economy and better
results.
The chief trouble with the present
system is that a number of yards are
Incapable of caring for the new war
ships of the dreadnought class and that
only very partial repairs are possible
in many of the depots.
In the last congress the question of
consolidation of the yards was widely
discussed. It was set forth that navy
yards in which several ships of war
could be handled at one time and
given complete attention were neces-
sary if the Navy was to be fighting
force of sufficient Importance to be
maintained In case of a naval en-
gagement, it was declared a ship
limping IN from the sea should be
given prompt and immediate attention
so that she might be in condition to
sally forth again in the shortest pos
sible time. The critics of the present
system declared this was impossible
under existing conditions and advo-
Gated a change
1t is not known whether the report
advocated changes in the present bu-
reau system of the Navy. It is be
Heved. however, that the report will
touch upon practically every feature
of the naval service.
Proposed Canadian Navy.
The crusaders and dpStr0vers for the
new Canadian navy will be built in
Canada if possible. 1t is understood
the government feels that the time has
come for the establishment of a ship
building industry in the dominion. Ne
g0tiations are going on between the
Canadian government and number of
shipbuildiug firms for the establish