Evening star., 1914-12-13

navy made public yesterday, and Sec
retary Daniels asks for an increase in
the appropriation for encouraging this
form of naval reserve.
The general board of the navy, head
ed by Admiral George Dewey-the
board which knows the needs OF the
naval service-in it's report recon-
mends that the naval militia be ex-
panded in number and that the depart
ment encourage the continuance and
Improvement of it's training to the end
that it may still more efficiently serve
the regular service at need"
'One of the vital necessities of the
nation, in the opinion of Jefferson -
said Secretary Daniels in his annual
report, under the title naval militia.
was properly classified and we'll led
militia, composed in the main of young
men. In his first inaugural he said:
The maintenance of a well disciplined
militia, our best reliance in peace and
for the first moments of war, till reg
ulars may relieve them. l deem one of
the essential principles of our govern
ment. and. consequently, one which
ought to shape it's administration.
Later on we hear him thus advising his
brilliant young understudy in states
manship, James Madison: 1t "a militia
of this type) is the real secret of Bona
parties success Jefferson's far-seeing
wisdom on this subject considered our
immense extent of coast line, and he
said in 1907: I think it will be neces-
sary to erect our seafaring men into
a naval militia and subject them to
tours of duty in whatever port they
may be-
1.-The following year his ideas had
crystalliZed into what he enthusiastic
cally called our naval militia plan
Although the need for such an organi-
zation has always been apparent, the
naval militia for the present had its
beginning as late as the year 1890. On
the Recommendation of the department
the naval militia bill, which had en-
dured rough sailing for number OF
years past, was enacted into law last
February, and the division of naval mi
litia affairs was organized under the
bureau of navigation. The nucleus of
the division was found in the state or
ganizations, where the patriotism or
hundreds of young men reared by the
seaside had induced them to devote
their knowledge of the sea and their
energies to this line of service. The
new law co-ordinates these heretofore
distinctly state organizations INTO
federal arm, and in time of war places
them at the call of the President as
commander chief of the navy.
"Some increase in the appropriation
will be needed to carry out effectlVeiy
the provisions of the act. chleny 10
maintain the annual cruises. in which
the personnel receives its actual sea
training. A naval militia adequate in
personnel and equipment goes a long
way toward avoiding the financlal bur,
dens of un-American milltar1sm ana
yet of proving ready Tor hatiohal de-
fense in case of war. =,
ut is surprising how. economically
such an arm of the service may be
maintained. There were in the naval
militia July 1, 1914. 596 offlcers and
7.132 enlisted men, of varying efficiency.
Not counting the officers, in order to
institute a comparison of enlisted men.
the cost per man of the naval militia.
estimated for 1916. is s54 per
year. This includes the purchase of
the year, and the pay, transportation
and subsistence of the men for a fif-
teen-day cruise. The average cost or
one enlisted man in the regular navy
per year is s63697. In other words. the
Navy Department can maintain 1872
of the naval militia for approximately
s2s5, 900. against s4.542.S70 to main
tain 1882 enlisted men of the regular
navy for the same time.
'Officers and men of the naval militia
have cruised on vessels loaned to the
states, and also on vessels OF the regu-
lar navy, and several officers of the
naval militia participated in the cruise
to Europe of the battleships in Decem-
DER, 1910, anu tHe cApelicHSC SdihCu
has been of great benefit. 1t is planned
to afford all possible opportunity to
the members of the naval militia for
such training as will equip them for
efficient service If needed
The general board strongly points out
the need of naval militia reserve forces.
mo nation" it says. "in time of peace
keeps all the ships of its navy fully
manned and in full commission. But all
leading nations except ourselves pro-
x,td lot
sufficient to keep the best of their fleet