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= = MARINE REVIEW Entered at Cleveland Post Office as Second-class Mail Matter. Published every Thursday at 418-19 Perry- Payne Bldg., by the Marine Review Pub. Co. VoL. XXIV. CLEVELAND, O., NOV. 28, 1901; Subscription $3.00 a year. Foreign $4 50 a year. N oO. o 2 SECRETARY LONG'S ANNUAL REPORT. Following are some of the salient and essential paragraphs in the annual report of Secretary John D. Long of the navy department, which has just been transmitted to the president: "The need of line officers for sea duty becomes steadily more pressing, and in case it should become necessary to man all vessels of our present fleet the required number is not available, and I recommend that the number of lieutenants be increased from 300 to 350 and that the limit of the number of junior lieutenants and ensigns be made 600." "I concur with the chief naval constructor that there should be an increase in his corps. Wath more ships to build there must be more con- structors." "Enlisted personnel.--I cannot too earnestly call attention to the necessity for an increase of this most important branch of the navy. As with the 'officers so with the enlisted men. The ships of the navy have been greatly increased in number but commensurate steps have not been taken to provide the necessary crews for them. I recommend that the present enlisted force be increased by 3,000 men." In the following tables the secretary compares our own personnel with that of the other principal naval powers: NUMBER OF COMMISSIONED OFFICERS OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. Nation. 1896. 1897. 1898. 1899. 1900. 1901. Wngland sore cee ce ee eo kee ewe cee 1,728: 1,768 21,8048 189s 1970 2: 0865 BPANCGE oe eee ace hives sues counie cass 62 13707 71,605. 1 G02 1668 | 15663 GGTINGT Ys oe etic eee ence Ce esse 723 749 785 826 905 974 PRISER. Core seeks Se roe cure es oo cies oes case 859: 1,089. 1,002 1,028. 1096 1,086 SAAT recs ee ee cise s algae Ciuh a cs cos ose ere Os Soaek 619 700 TA TEU rn ea ue ee eee dees es ores 586 586 720 748 768 Boies NUMBERS ON THE UNITED STATES NAVY LISTS, INCLUDING THE FORMER ENGINEER OFFICERS (165 IN 1900 AND 155 IN 1901). DO9G. cai e ce ak cee mean as wieeaise svi ass 715 NBOO erase seus Geek vols near scles cous sec 704 ASOT cee otis Mine ee ee we cee tet ep Use seis. 712 ASO Speen cases se wueee ce cesine ee cies wise 717 DSOS eG ie ee ae eee oe ue Secunia ss ccs 712 LOOM es ieee sae woes cine sneee ees 728 TOTAL STRENGTH OF ALL RANKS AND RATINGS. Nation. 1896. 1897. 1898. 1899. 1900. 1901. 100,050 106,390 110,640 114,880 45,461 48,783 44,620 49,775 23,302 24,906 26,651 30,386 40,184 42,500 89,546 39,546 23,000 23,000 23,000 26,108 24,200 25,669. 24,560 25,804 13,218 12,218 20,275 23,453 The English figures in the above table include the royal marines. The French marine infantry is not included. The United States figures do not include marines. The Russian naval estimates for 1899 proposed increas- ing the total force to 52,250 in 1900, and to 57,500 in 1901. England in- creases her naval personnel by making provision in the estimates of each year-for a sufficient future increase in officers and men to man the new ships. France has proposed this year to add to her personnel 150 lieu- tenant-commanders, 116 lieutenants, 101 ensigns and cadets, and 170 engi- neers. This:increase is to be made at the rate of sixty-three line officers and twenty-eight engineers per year. France also proposes to increase her enlisted force at the rate of 2,320 men yearly. Germany provides for the future increase of the naval personnel in systematic manner under the law. governing her ship building policy. This increase is fixed by law, as follows: 118,625 Other ; Line person- Year. officers. nel, Total. LDS Waa ee aan gat a pw PERE ORO Amy BA SUC OGES Te CRED S 876 22,476 23,352 MN eee rere a ania g Sone Sale isle naga b sins wis uiee Moo esi 1,179 31,187 | 32,366 TOMO ieee cee he wes wes oe Caos Soe e ees eaves tus 1,482 39,898 41,380 TG oe ete, ee Ue esas s Calscicee enisies Mrcneled s Coulee' 1,785 48,609 50,394 TODO sae Gs i cee eee ac oe eh A nic see eis a eee na ors °2,088 57,320 59,408 Total increase, 1900 to: 1920 <3... .5. cece sees 1,212 34,844 36,056 Average annual increase .......... Sie 60.6 1,742.2 1,802.8 Average increase in five years Neeens BUDS 8,742.2 9,014 The secretary recommends that the title "midshipman," which is full of historic associations, be restored and substituted for "naval cadet;' that an engineering experimental laboratory be established at the naval academy for the use of the cadets in their studies; that the number of cadets at the naval academy be increased 50 per cent., as recommended by the general board, and that there be appointed annually by the presi- dent ten at large. Upon the subjects of smokeless powder and armor the secretary says: "The manufacture of smokeless powder has progressed satisfactorily, both at the government works and at those of private manufacturers. The department in June last ordered a board of naval officers and chemists to revise the specifications for the manufacture of smokeless powder, and to draw up rules for its test, examination and storage both in magazines on shore and on shipboard, and specific instructions on these points have been issued throughout the service. In addition a general examination and chemical test were made of all smokeless powder in the 'naval service, and the results are satisfactory. The capacity of the armor plants' is now about 7,500 tons a year of armor of the best quality; and at the instance of the department the fiianufacturers are makitig preparations to increase © their output to 10,000 ot 12,000 tons a year in order to complete deliveries in accordance With present contracts and also in order to'be ready to 'provide afihnor for-additional vessels should they be authorized by con- *gressi' They"have already turned out more armor than was anticipated. Bride authority vested in the department by congress contracts were "signed Noveéinber 28, 1900, for over 87,000 'tons of armor required for vesSels authorized and building. Comparing tests made in this country with reports of those made abroad, our armor seems to be the best that can at present be produced, and the price at which it is obtained is lower than that paid abroad. Deliveries amounting to nearly 2,000 tons have already been made under these contracts." The concluding part of the secretary's report is the most important, recommending the following naval program: Three first-class battleships. Two first-class armored cruisers. Three gunboats, each of about 1,000 tons trial displacement. Three gunboats, each of about 200 tons trial displacement, for insular service. : Three picket' boats, each of about 650 tons trial displacement. Three steel sailing training ships, each of about 2,000 tons trial dis- placement. One collier of about 15,0U0 tons trial displacement. Four tug boats. SENATOR FRYE ON OUR MERCHANT MARINE. Senator William P, Frye of Maine was the guest of honor of the Com- mercial Club of Boston last Saturday evening. He said in part: "With an almost limitless seacoast, capacious harbors, boundless forests, iron and coal in rich abundance, skilled laborers, sagacious and bold business men, large capital, an ever-increasing foreign commerce, we have permitted the other maritime nations, our inferiors in most of these regards, to seize upon the pathways of the oceans of the world and hold them to our exclusion. Last year the climax of decadence seems to have been reached, the worst year in our history. In the trade between the United States and Europe not one American vessel came from or went to Germany, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Greece or Turkey. Two small vessels came from France, one of these in ballast; one from Belgium, in ballast, and one cleared from Spain. There entered or cleared from ports of the United Kingdom eleven sail vessels, two small steamships, both in ballast. This does not include the four ships of the American line. The North German Lloyd line carried last year more cargo than all of our ships together engaged in the foreign trade. It is not only humiliating, but may be ex- ceedingly dangerous to our prosperity. Suppose Europe should be em- broiled in war; that England and Germany, our carriers, should enter upon a conflict of arms; who would carry our exports of farm, factory and mine products? If carried, who would pay the enormous war premiums? If exportations were seriously crippled, what would become of our home industries and the workingmen who conduct them? _ "Discussion of the causes leading to this lamentable result is neces- sary only so far as it may be suggestive of remedies. The theoretical free trader ascribes it to our policy of protection. The fact is, when we pro- tected we carried 90 per cent. of our exports and imports; without protec- tion, a trifle over 8 per cent. Our coastwise fleet has been protected for a century by a'Chinese wall; no foreign nation being permitted to engage in it. What is'the result? The most magnificent fleet in the world, with a tonnage exceeding that of any other country, probably twice that of any other, with freights l6Wer than elsewhere. Our lake, river and coast vessels carried two years ago 180,000,000 tons of freight and 200,000,000 passengers. f "Tt is not protection which has harmed us, but the entire lack of it, the compelling of our ships to compete with those of other maritime nations protected by subsidies, by much lower-wages in ship yards and on ships, and by a less expensive manner of living. Our ships cost from 15 to 20 per cent. more than those of our competitors. We pay our officets and sailors on American ships near twice more than they are paid on the ships of our competitors. Eighty per cent. of all steamships fourteen knots and upward receive subsidies. Foreign nations, to encourage their merchant navies, pay annually $25,000,000, $20,000,000 to the faster steam- ships. We paid last year $17,000 for carrying our mails to Brazil, Argen- tina, Uruguay and Paraguay--less than we pay for one large gun--while England paid $195,000 for her mails to the little island of Jamaica "Are we, rich and prosperous, to submit to such humiliating and dangerous conditions? What would you think of the merchant who employed the commercial traveler of his rival house to sell his goods? All other nations recognize as a fact that carriers of their own are a necessity to the prosperity of their commerce, and expend generously of their money to this end, and not one of them depends so largely for pros- perity upon the extension of its markets as we do. "What benefit could we hope to realize from discriminating duties? Of course, no duty can be laid on exports and we must deal with imports alone. Again, retaliation would be certain to follow. The abrupt termina- tion of all of the commercial treaties would arouse a very hostile spirit the world around. "There must be a remedy for this mortifying and dangerous condi- tion, and it is the duty of congress to find it at the earliest day possible in the interest of our people. The first and imperious necessity is the establishment of regular lines of reasonably fast steamships from our commercial points to those of foreign countries, especially from the Pacific coast east and from the Atlantic to South America, for here is the promise of'our greatest commercial expansion. Such lines build up a trade, carry mails, establish the necessary facilities abroad, carry as freight our farm products of all kinds, our fruits, our perishable products, and their ships © setve as attxiliaries to the navy in time of war. In tay opinion, the result ' of 'long-continued and careful consideration, certainly inspingé by no sel- fish purpose, never having a dollar interest in ships--po ibly By my > "'Ameticanism somewhat intense--the only. way to Testoré us to our legiti- mate position on the sea is to pay, directly from tiéreasury, finually, so much money as shall equalize the conditions between our Ships and those of our competitors, whether they be slow 'or fast, re@tlar or irregu- lar, sail or steam. During the congress about to meet I shall persist in my efforts to secure favorable legislation for our merchant navy, and I bespeak for such attempt the sympathy of the business men of Boston." ey é