New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-29

D
$500 short Of the requirements OF the
navy on peace basis, and 1880 less
than the needs on war basis ana
recommends the full number OF men
required on a peace basis and author-
cation for the President to enlist the
navy up 70 a total of S2.762. as recon-
mended by the General Board. To man
the ships now built and those author
lied and 10 place the navy on war
strength would require 10000 men.
Even with the naval militia, when
has a total of 1900. there VIII De
shortage Of many thousands below the
required number. even If the recon
I mendation of the minority OF the
committee should be adopted. war
time conditions, if adequately met, VIII
demand a great and sudden increase
OF officers and sailors to man our bat
tleships. cruisers, destroyers. suoma-
rines and other fighting vessels. but
besides these. mine layers, mine sweep
ers. patrol boats. dispatch boats, sup,
ply and hospital ships, transports anu
many others will be absolutely neees-
sarv and cannot hold the sea unless
] handled by competent men.
Demands Immediate Remedy.
"An immediate effort must be made
to reme@ this state Of affairs and TO
inform people about the navy and its
unpreparedness. For this purpose
regard the naval training cruise for
civilians as of the highest Importance.
Let each one of us do his part, and
do it now. | believe it is a supreme
patriotic duty for men who have had
experience on the sea and who know
our coasts. and for those who have
technical or mechanical training Of
use on naval ships. 70 go on the
cruise and do their part in the cause Of
preparedness.
with hearty good wishes for the
success OF your cause. ! am
Sincerely yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
The letter to Mr.. Reuterdahl fol-
lows:
"My dear Mr.. Reuterdahl; A naval
officer is to-day a fighting engineer
On board q superdreadnought there are
more engines outside the engine room
proper than inside it. The same set
Of officers fight the guns. navigate the
ship and run the engines. II is be
cause Of this that the navy has main
tanned its present high standard OF en-
cheering.
From the time that steam became
an auxiliary TO sail in propelling our
men-of-war. with sails finally disap--
nearing, the line and engineer corps OF
the navy were two separate and dis
tinct professions. With the disappear
ance OF the sail our ships became
mass of complicated machinery, and TO
understand and work every engine,
from the propelling power TO the oper
alton OF guns, turrets and HOSTS OF
every character, steam and electrical,
both the line and engineer officers have
TO be engineers. The line officer has TO
understand the operation, the repair,
upkeep, care and limitations Of all the
machinery on board ship in order TO
fight them efficiently in battle.
Navy Needs Engineers.
an 1899. when ! was Assistant Sec
rotary of the Navy, the old engineer
corps was finally abolished. This was
a good move-the corps had outlived
its usefulness. The amalgamation of
the engineers with the line has eff
fected remarkable results. During the
fleets great cruise around the world
the battleships maintained an abso-
lutte, unbroken schedule, to the admira-
ton of the worlds navy experts. The
high engineering record was the direct
outcome of this amalgamation.
know myself, and my opinion is rein
forced by the best naval authorities,
that the navy has never been more ef-
ficient in engineering than at that
time.
But this record is not to continue
The naval appropriation bill, which
haF he W.
day next. contains a clause which will
reestablish the old engineer corps. 1t
will Inject a political element into the
service and revive all the chickering's
OF the days OF the old engineer corps
and the lsmentable conditions result
ant therefrom.
"The graduates OF the Naval Acad-
envy obtain a thorough knowledge OF
engineering during their four-year
course. The best material in each
section Of the country is represented
at Annapolis. the candidates being Sc
/ lccted Ly competitive examination.
/ During the four years those who fail
are dropped behind. and in the end
/ the best only remain. While the mid
shipmen are at Annapolis they are un-
consciously impregnated with q GER
/ tain esprit de corps, produced nowhere
else.
chose who take special interest
+ in engineering apply themselves TO the
study Of the practical operation Of the
/ numerous engines on board ship. And
| thos: who show marked ability in en-
/ cheering are sent through a post
/ graduate course. In this manner the
navy now obtains its engineers.
/ li7o officer, Lieutenant Chester w.
| Nimitz, has superintended the build
/ ing Of tie largest Diesel engine in
/ the world, which is now being in
stalled In the collier Maumee. And,
/ although a line officer he will be the
chief engineer OF the ship.
Annapolis Makes Men Practical.
"This training produces the right
men. An engineer officer in charge Of
the turbines of a dreadnought must
not only be q good engineer. He must
| be q leader Of men as well, an execu-
/ tive and an organizer. For this the
/ training at Annapolis especially fits
| him. 40 college can produce a prac-
/ teal. executive organizing engineer.
/ Only the hardest school Of the navy
/ can do so.
"The new engineer corps, II estab-
| lished. will mean the adding of new
| element of unskilled civilians, and in
possession of theoretical knowledge
only. For the first three years Of their
service, they, as learners, will be prac-
| tically no use to the navy. 1t is safe
| 10 assume that after a few years the
new engineer corps will do exactly what
the old one did, claiming that the tram
! ing of the engineers was practically
the same as that of the line officers, and
tho. conseouentlv the engineer should