24. Insane from the Navy at the Government Hospital for the Insane, Washington, D. C. Recovered... Died... Not insane.. Improved.. On visit.. Total...... Total number remaining under treatment June 30, 1911... Patients from the Navy and Marine Corps in the Mendocino State Hospital for the Insane on June 30, 1910.......... Admitted during fiscal year ending June 30, 1911.. Total..... Discharged during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1911 (17 to Government Hospital for the Insane, Washington, D. C.), 1 from treatment (improved); 2 from service; 1 died)..... Remaining in this institution June 30, 1911... 25. Naval sanatorium for tuberculosis, Las Animas, Colo. 26. Statement of the work done by the Record and Pension Division of the bureau during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1911. Pension cases remaining on hand June 30, 1910.. Remaining on hand June 30, 1911.. Cases for board of medical examiners received and answered. Cases for retiring board received and answered... Reports of deaths received...... Reports of medical survey received and acted upon.. Cases from Civil Service Commission received and answered.... Cases of physical rejection, transfer of patients, and miscellaneous letters received and answered.... Total..... Average for each working day... 12 1,423 1,418 17 735 68 416 2,778 76 5,107 12, 050 39 Diseases showing in crease in admission rate. 27.— Table showing relative increase and decrease of diseases and injuries in Navy and Marine Corps, year 1910. REPORT OF THE MAJOR GENERAL COMMANDANT OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS. HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS, Washington, D. C., September 30, 1911. SIR: In compliance with the department's instructions of June 19, 1911, I have the honor to submit the following report of the condition and service of the United States Marine Corps for the last fiscal year, and, in connection therewith, to transmit the annual estimates for its support during the coming fiscal year. During the period covered by this report inspections of the marine barracks at the navy yards and stations, both in the United States and in the insular possessions thereof, have been made, as far as practicable, either by the undersigned or by officers of the adjutant and inspector's department. Such of the barracks as have not been inspected during the past year will be inspected in the near future. Favorable reports as to the personnel, so far as pertains to health and discipline, have generally been made of those posts which have been visited by the inspecting officers. Adverse criticism has been made of some of the barracks, due to their being obsolete both as to construction and capacity, but there is no way of obviating this unless Congress appropriates for new and necessary barracks. PERSONNEL. At all the stations of the Marine Corps in the United States the amount of guard duty which the officers and men of the corps are called upon to perform is such as not to allow sufficient time off duty to permit of their proper instruction in the many and various details of their profession. This office intends to recommend in the near future that the department direct "that except in emergencies privates will not be detailed for guard duty oftener than once in three days." This is believed the maximum amount of guard duty that should be required. It also intends to recommend that the department direct commandants of navy yards and stations to appoint boards to make a study of the yards and stations to which attached, so that the proper performance of guard duty may be carried on with the least number of sentries. ESTABLISHMENT OF RECRUIT DEPOTS. Recruit depots are being established at Philadelphia (two companies), Port Royal (three companies), Mare Island (one company), and Puget Sound (one company), to which men enlisted in adjacent territory will hereafter be sent for careful, systematic instruction for a period of about three months prior to their assignment to regular duty. It is not believed that as good results can be obtained with the small one-company recruit depots as at larger depots, and as soon as sufficient data can be obtained on which to base an accurate decision it is the intention to combine the two recruit depots on the Pacific coast into one. Officers specially qualified for the instruction of recruits have been assigned to duty at these depots, and have themselves been given particular instructions as to handling recruits. Prior to the establishment of these depots recruits were habitually sent to the barracks nearest to their respective places of enlistment, and it often developed that because of shortage of men at a given navy yard it was necessary to detail recruits for regular duty before they were properly qualified therefor. It is believed that the system just inaugurated will result in a much more satisfactory performance of duty by men in the early stage of their enlistments, and, by affording them an opportunity to acquire necessary information as to their duties and to become accustomed to service routine, will considerably decrease the number of desertions, thus adding materially to the efficiency of the service and eliminating a great part of the expense incident to enlisting, outfitting, and rationing recruits who, soon after their entrance into the service, might otherwise desert. When this recruiting system has been in operation for three months it is estimated that there will be approximately 900 men in training at the recruit depots, and these men will not be available for the necessary ordinary garrison duties. PHYSICAL TRAINING. Two officers and six noncommissioned officers have taken a course in physical training at the Naval Academy, under the supervision of Surg. Joseph A. Murphy, United States Navy, who, at the request of these headquarters, and by authority of the Surgeon General of the Navy, has formulated a course in physical training for recruits of the Marine Corps. Upon the completion of this course of instruction, one officer and two noncommissioned officers were sent to the recruit depots at Philadelphia and Port Royal, and one noncommissioned officer to each of the smaller depots at Mare Island and Puget Sound. COMPANY ORGANIZATION. In order that the training of men may be better carried out, that the men may be more carefully looked after, and may be better prepared for expeditionary service, the larger posts of the corps have been divided into two parts-one known as the barracks detachment and composed of men whose duties are such that they are not ordinarily available for expeditionary or sea service, men joining for discharge, sick, etc.; the other part being formed into companies of 2 officers and 100 enlisted men each, the number of companies depending upon the size of the post. This organization of permanent companies will, it is believed, add considerably to the efficiency of the service by insuring the systematic instruction of officers, noncommissioned officers, and men in all the details of organization that must necessarily be adopted in the field, and will obviate much of the confusion incident to the formation of companies when the corps is called upon to furnish detachments for expeditionary service. INCREASE IN CORPS. The Marine Corps is so intimately associated with the Navy that it is believed that the best results will follow from a settled policy in regard to increasing the corps, and it is recommended that whenever there is an increase in the enlisted personnel of the Navy that an increase of the enlisted personnel of the Marine Corps equal to at least 20 percent. of the Navy increase should be made, and, as efficiency in expeditionary service requires the organization of companies, battalions, and regiments, it is believed that with each increase of enlisted men there should be authorized an increase in the number of officers corresponding to the enlisted increase. TRAINING FOR SEA SERVICE. The plan of having detachments for duty on board ship assemble, under their officers, for two or three months' training prior to going on board ship was inaugurated at Port Royal, where the detachments for the Florida and Utah were trained." It is intended to use the marine barracks, Naval Academy, Annapolis, as a training place for two ships' detachments, and, so far as practicable, to fill occasional vacancies in ships' detachments from that post. Three officers due for sea service have been ordered there; one company has been organized, and as soon as men and ordnance and other matériel are available a second company will be formed. MATÉRIEL. During the past year the money appropriated by Congress for the maintenance of the Marine Corps has been judiciously expended. The appropriation "Repair of barracks" has been utilized in making such minor repairs and alterations as were necessary to keep the barracks in proper condition for habitation. A great drain has been made on this appropriation because of the condition and requirements of many of the older barracks. The report of the officer in charge of the quartermaster's department of the corps shows that minor repairs and improvements have been made during the past year at all the stations. ADVANCED BASE SCHOOL. In June the Advanced Base School, formerly at New London, was moved to Philadelphia. The officers attached to the school are thus rendered available for duty with the battalion at the latter post, and in place of a course made up largely of theoretical instruction, both officers and men can have a large amount of practical instruction and work with the matériel that would be used in case of hostilities. The department has been requested to assemble at this station all the advanced base matériel at the naval stations on the Atlantic coast so that the matériel may be overhauled and the useless or obsolete eliminated. The storage facilities for this matériel are limited, and as soon as practicable additional space should be allotted. In order that the work at this school may be carried on successfully it will be necessary that the officers be relieved, as far as is practicable, from courts and boards incident to naval administration. |