THE BRITISH NAVY.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 704, 27 December 1902, Page 3

THE BRITISH NAVY.

! A BIG SCHEME OF REFORM, By Telegraph—Press AssociationCopyright. LONDON, December 25.. Lord Sol bourne, in a memorandum dealing with a proposed scheme of far reaching reform in the training am personnel of the Navy, remarks ’ For merly it sufficed if a naval officer w a ; a, seaman, but now lie must be sc a man, gunner, soldier, and man of sci cnee, 'flic Admiralty, therefore, hav< decided that all executive engineer ina rine officers must begin their cadetxhii at the age of twelve to thirteen, anti undergo an identical system and training until they become sub-lieutenants. When about the age of twenty they will be distributed between the executive engineering marine services-, three branched representing the essential fighting efficiency, and Fleet engineer students will hereafter be designed “ enneer cadets,” “assistant engineers,’ “ engineer sub-lieutenants ’’ and so on up to the post of “ engineer rearadmiral ” and “ engineer vice-admi-ral.” FURTHER DETAILS, APPRECIATIVE OPINION OF TIMES. By Telegraph—Press AssociationCopyright. LONDON, December 25. In connection with the Navy reform, cadets are to spend four years on the training ship Britannia, uhrec on seagoing ships, and afterwards three months- at (be Naval College, Greenwich, with an examination. This is to he followed by a month’s course at Portsmouth in gunnery and torpedo engineering schools, and forthwith a fresh examination. The change of .systems will be gradual. Engineers are to receive increased pay, and wear similar uniforms- to combatant officers of the Royal Marine. Officers who benefit, by increased emoluments will lie required to take a quarter share of the general work of (lie ship. The Times, commenting on the recommendations, says that it is one of the most important Admiralty documents ever issued in time of peace,and is entitled to respectful and sympathetic attention. To remove the evil resulting from ttic dissimilarity of training and reserving specialisation of careers until each cadet has certified Unit lie will be competent to act as an officer of the waten, restores- that homogeneity by interchange of ability in the working parts of the warship which disappeared when masts and sails were displaced in favor of tiic most complicated assemblage of machinery the world has seen. LONDON, December 25.

Commandants of the Royal Marines from April next will receive twelve shillings per day, to correspond with tile command money of captains commanding naval establishments ashore, and second commandants five shillings. .Sixty appointments will be reserved for lieutenants promoted from the lower deck. Chief iietty officers have received an extra halfpenny per day, increasing itlio lesiUmatcs hyt sevcntyrtlirce thou* sand pounds annually.