The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1911-12-07
these has turned eleven years

4 tiese mas turned SeleYen- years.
Theisecretary regards the creation
ofsthe reserve feet as a most impor-
tant development of the year since
It will insure the readiness for var
Of practically every vessel of military
value.
The report touches sparingly on
the subject of the eight hour law, re-
citing the experience Of the depart
ment during the last year in placing
contracts for ships and, winding up
with the statement: what the eff
feet will be on the bidding for the
hattleships provided for by the last
act is problematlcal"
AS to personnel, the report declares
that the aim of all naval education
and training is to produce the sea
officer who is to command ships and
fleets and that all the combatant ele-
ments aboard ships should belong 20
the, line. Line officers hereafter
should perform the duties of pay
master and while the present con-
structon corps made up of Naval
Academy graduates may continue to
do special work, the younger officers
may hereafter perform both line and
construction duty.
The abandonment of the turbine
engine in favor of the old reciprocal
ing type is declared to have followed
an exhaustive comparison of the two
kinds of machinery. 1t was found
that the reciprocating engine is about
thirty per cent more economical at
cruising speeds than the turbine and
of about the came economy at high
speeds. AS one result of the use Of
OIL burners instead of coal furnaces
the new, battieships Oklahoma and
Nevada will each have but one smoke
pipe, thus clearing the upper deck
and improving the arc of train OF the
turrets.
The report dwells at some length
upon the successful results attained
in tho experimental work for the
development Of aviation in the Macy
and especially in the direction Of the
production OF aeroplanes fitted for
use from shipboard. 1t is the pu:-
pose to issue few of-these machines
to the feet as soon as they have been
sufficiently developed.
Dealing with foreign building
programs the report says that Eng
land is laying down four battleships
and one armored cruiser, Germany
three battleships and one armored
cruiser and Japan four armored
cruisers and one battleship All of
the battleships are being increased
in size and SO are the cruisers, des-
troyers and submarines, Secretary
Meyer proposes new otf1ce-the d.
rector OF navy yards. He makes
strong recommendation for the crea-
ton of the rank Of vice admiral;
the graded retirement of enlisted
men. the increase of the enlisted
force by 1000 and the commission
ing of midshipmen upon their grad
uation from the academy.
Touching the abolition of navy
yards Secretary Meyer promises to
present the whole matter afresh to
Congress when he receives the re-
port of the Joint Board of the Army
and Navy next Saturday. Meanwhile
he sees no reason to change his views
already expressed as to the propriety
of closing a number of yards or
changing their functions,
The secretary also directs attention
to the fact that some provision must
be made Immediately for accumulat-
ing on the Isthmus of Panama a suf-
flcient supply of coal to met the needs
of the vessels using that waterway.