empire]
ADMIRALTY
ADMINISTRATION
afloat and ashore. Candidates for commissions enter through the Civil Service Commissioners’ examination at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, and upon passing out as second lieutenants the officers proceed to the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, after which there is training at the gunnery establishment at Portsmouth. In the case of the light infantry the training is similar, though there are some differences in procedure. A marine officer on board ship is in command of all marines in their distinct duty as such, but he cannot assume any naval command whatever, unless ordered to do so by the senior naval officer. Details in regard to qualifications, pay, emoluments, and duties, may be found in the Admiralty Instructions and the Quarterly Navy List. We may now turn from the officers to the men. Boys are entered in the training-ships between 14| and 16f years a e am Men g> ^ they undergo a course of instruction to qualify them for seamen, having on entry signed an agreement to serve for twelve years from the age of 18, after which they can claim their discharge. When the course of training in the training-ships and brigs is sufficiently advanced the boys proceed on active service. Many boys are periodically drafted to the ships of the Channel squadron, and there become ordinary seamen. The next rating to which men rise by service and good conduct is that of able seamen, and the various ratings of petty officers to that of chief petty officer follow. A certain proportion of men may become warrant officers (gunners, boatswains, &c.), a most valuable class of men, and these may rise to commissioned rank in the case of special gallantry against the enemy. Pensions are granted at the age of forty to seamen who have served for twenty-two years from the age of eighteen, according to conduct, ability, and advantage. Stokers are entered direct from the shore, serve some time in the steam reserve to be taught their drill and learn the discipline of the service, and go out on steam trials before being sent to a seagoing ship. Like the seamen they can rise from petty officer to warrant officer, a rank which gives a pension to the widow. The artificer class, which comprises blacksmiths, armourers, plumbers, carpenters, (be., have to pass an examination in their trade before being sent to sea-going ships. As is the case with officers, there may come a time when the petty officer may think it desirable to join the coastguard, which gives him duties on shore, but places him only in the rank of able seaman, while his gunnery and torpedo pay are stopped. Allusion has been made to the officers of the royal marine forces. The men are enlisted for twelve years, and the service may be extended to twenty-one years. The recruit receives his first training at the depot at W aimer and may volunteer for the artillery branch in which the pay is better, and be transferred to it upon fulfilling the conditions. His duties ashore are those of a soldier, but when the time comes he is drafted for service afloat, and his duties then are in many respects analogous to those of the seamen. The royal marines, both of the artillery and light infantry branches, are an extremely fine body of men who have never failed to do good service when called upon, and the force has been largely increased within recent years. The average height of the men on entry has lately ranged from 5 feet 7-| inches to 5 feet 8 inches for the royal marine artillery, and from 5 feet 51 inches to 5 feet 6 inches for the royal marine light infantry. The numbers of the corps are being steadily increased, and in the year 1901-2 there was a further addition to the force of 1000 men. The marines—their barracks, drill, and books—are in-
75 spected by the deputy adjutant-general of royal marines, and their discipline is entirely under him, nor can they be sent away from their headquarters except by orders from the Admiralty. For garrison and field duties they are, when their naval duties so permit, under the general commanding the forces at their headquarters. In the year 1899, at the commencement of the South African war, the masted training squadron which had been employed for the training of the boys of the seamen class, as well as of young officers, was re- Tra,n,ngplaced by a squadron composed of modern cruisers. This circumstance led to a discussion concerning the right system of training boys for service afloat. The question had been debated before, but in June 1900 Mr J. R. Thursfield read a paper upon the subject before the Royal United Service Institution, which was followed by an important discussion. The argument of the lecturer was that, though masted ships are no longer used in the navy, the training or discipline of masts and sails was well adapted to educe those qualities of alertness, readiness, quickness of eye, and rapidity of decision which are universally thought essential in seamen. On the other hand, a large number of naval officers were of opinion that the system implied by the existence of the small training squadron of masted vessels had given anything but satisfactory results. One after another various admirals who had lately commanded fleets, or who were then in command, testified to the need of some system of training which would restore the type of officer and seaman which they affirmed to be disappearing. The majority of these were of the opinion that no mere resuscitation of a training ship squadron of fourmasted vessels would remedy the evil, while some ridiculed the idea of attempting to revive what they looked upon as dead and buried. It was very noteworthy, on the other hand, that some young officers appeared as stout advocates of the old system of training. In short, the discussion revealed the existence of two schools of thought on this important matter, and on either side were ranged officers of equal rank and experience. There was a consensus of opinion that something was needed for the training of the fleet, but a wide divergence of view was revealed as to what that something should be. It may be worth Avhile to remark that the men of the naval brigade on the Benin expedition under Sir Harry Rawson, and those lately employed in South Africa and China, showed no deterioration in the characteristic handiness of the seaman. VI. Mobilization of the Fleet.—By the mobilization of the fleet is meant the placing of naval resources upon a Avar footing, in readiness in all material and personal respects for hostile operations. It is obvious that this is the real croAvn and completion of the work of the Admiralty Board, and that there can be no department or branch Avhich is not in some way concerned in it. The Avork of mobilization falls chiefly within the province of the first Naval Lord, and the mobilization branch of the Naval Intelligence Department is his agency. The essence of the work of that branch is described as “ preparation for war,” and it is concerned with the preparation of plans for organization, basing much of its Avork upon the information gained by the Foreign Intelligence Branch. I he Naval Intelligence Department is a consultative office in the department of the first Naval Lord. But of course the second bi aval Lord, who is chiefly concerned Avith the manning of the fleet, including the coastguard and the royal naval reserve, has a very large share in the duties of mobilization. The same may be said of the Additional Naval Lord and Controller, who is charged with all that concerns the materiel of the fleet, and again of the junior Naval Lord, whose duties are largely in the matters of
