Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-04
HIGHER EFFICIENCY
IN THE NAVAL MILITIA
Increase Noted Since Passage Of Law,
Says Report of Commander
Bassett.

Marked increase in the efficiency of
the passage of the naval militia act
February last has been shown, accord
ing to the annual report of Commander
F. b. Bassett, jr.. U. 8. N, in charge OF
naval militia affairs. Even better re-
suits are to be expected during the
coming year. aand the increase in eff
ficiency will be even moro marked.
Several divisions were organized dur
Ing the year. says the report, and a
number disbanded during the year. On
the whole. the naval militia increased
in numbers, and from the interest and
enthusiasm aroused by the passage of
the naval militia act it is expected
that the increase in growth will be
even moro marked during the coming
year.
The report is full Of recommends
lions characterized to make the naval
militia force one to be reckoned with
In time of war.
One of the big problems Of the naval
militia division Is the furnishing of
practice ships to the naval militia. The
navy has use for practically all of
those small ships which are not obso-
lete, and the result is there are not
enough to go to the naval militia.
Urges Battleships for Service.
Tn this connection" says the re-
port. 1T is urged that the recommends
ton of the general board to assign
some of the older battleships now in
reserve commission to the naval militia
of certain states be adopted. The plan
is for the battleship Illinois to be taken
to Brooklyn with her present reserve
or hi lob to to 1,ao fnI y,o
I'd Battalion of the New York naval
militia; for the battleship Maine to be
taken to New York and manned by her
present reserve crew an dthe LIST Bat
LIST Battalion of New York naval
militia: for the battleship Alabama to
be taken to Boston and manned by her
present reserve crew and by the naval
militia of Massachusetts; for the Ken
lucky to be moored in the Delaware
river and manned by her present re-
serve crew and by the I'd Battalion
New Jersey naval militia and the LIST
Battalion Pennsylvania naval militia"
Inspectors reports show that the
naval militia, with the exception of two
divisions of South Carolina, were quail
fled to participate in the allotment of
federal funds. Several organizations
are top-heavy with officers. and in
many cases the rank of the officers is
too high.
Because of the difficulty in getting
returns from naval militia officers busy
with their own affairs, considerable
government property Is not properly
accounted for. and Commander Bassett
recommends that at least one compe-
tent yeoman be assigned to naval
militia vessel to assist in this clerical
work.
Time Should Be Well Spent.
AS tho naval militia is a purely vol
untary organization. made up Of bust
ness and working men. the time they
are able to devote to naval militia
matters is necessarily limited, and
should. in the opinion of Commander
Bassett, be devoted to drills and the
details of the naval profession. He as
serts that they should not be expected
to spend much time scaling bilges
painting double bottoms or repairing
material, and he recommends consid-
cradle increase of the number of ship
keepers to take care of this work.
While several adverse comments on
the personnel of the naval militia were
received from officers of the regular
navy, in whose ships the militia cruised
in general, the personnel was COM
mended for it's intelligence. aptitude
and efficiency. The necessity of having
an officer of the navy make the cruises
with the naval militia on vessels
loaned to the states is strongly en-
phasized.