Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-09
.COGHLhN ON WHAT
OUR NAVY NEEDS
On Eve of Retirement Admiral
Points Out Possibilities.
OUT FOR GREAT SHIPS
Believes in the Type After the Eng
lish Dreadnought.
NO GUNS UNDER TWELvE.INCH
-hould Have Vice Admirals to Rank
With the Officers Of Other
Nations.
OUT FOR GREAT SHIPS
Believes in the Type After the Eng
ish Dreadnought.
NO GUNS UNDER TWELvE-INCH

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK December 8.-The active
career of Admiral Joseph B. Coshtan. U.
s. N, terminates tomorrow. the, admiral.
by many considered the most picturesque
figure in the service retires under the pro-
visions of the limit law. Admiral Cogh-
Ian has been in the navy forty-slx years.
two month and thirteen days. and he
leaves 1t viii the respect and affection or
practically every man in the department.
In his office at the New York navy yard.
where he has been on duty IS commandanf
since October l. 1904. Admiral Cognian
talked today about the service in which
he has spent the best years Of his life.
His talk was full of confidence expressed
for the future of our already great navy.
Il tell YOU" said the admiral. with the
posit.veness for which he is famous, that
I am thoroughly convinced of the utility Of
the great modern battleship of the type OF
the English Dreadnought. and of our own
great ship yet unnamed authorized by Con-
gress at Its last session. President Roose-
vet was exactly right when he said that all
of our obsolete ST 5 should be replaced by
ships Of the most powerful class, and his
excel 1T ideas merit the most favorable
action of Congress.
Great Ships and Great Guns.
Give us great ships, of great tonnage.
great guns. and great speed. That Is what
We Eced. The greater in al: these particu-
lars the better it will be for the navy. Per-
sonally | believe that every gun below the
twelse-inch caliber should be taken out Of
our ships. We don't need the medium cali
her guns-that is. those of the caliber be-
t-r. no tuo fbrpa ipch Man
man we are all right. but If we are to have
d fighting navy we should have one that is
able to cope with any on the face of the
earth today, with ships that in number.
size, 1peed and armament are the equal at
least of any afieat.
1T is therefore perfectly reasonable that
if we are to have navy that is smaller
than those of the other great powers, so
far as numbers are concerned. We should
make up the deficiency in number, in the
qualities of our ships, and the experiences
Of our personnel 1 would Ike to see the
increase in the navy made by units-that
is. by building ships of the same kind. say.
-four at the same time. When. we get the
ships and We have got enough already to
Justify what l am going to say, Congress
should give us officers of the proper rank
to command them. BY this, I mean that
lantic and tie other in the Pacific, should
be commanded by vice admirais.
Need Higher Banking
I'VE should have these vice admirals in
order that the dignity of the country
shall be represented by corresponding
dignity In the rank of it's officials. The
navy, you must remember has grown to
such an extent that it seems incongruous to
have three or four officials of the same
rank commanding in the same fleet For
instance. take the Atlantic fleet with it's
four rear adnirais. all entitled to the same
honors, and three of them in subordinate
positions, and not one of them having rank
enough to represent properly this country
among even the smallest of the European
nations. whose naval officials out rank
Them.
On the subms rine Admiral Coghlan de-
clared that as yet he worth of these YES
sells was improved. Until their worth was
decided it would be unwse he thou.:t to
discuss their usefulness as vessels of war.
On the Raleigh at Manila.
The admiral said that he had not decided
where he would make his HON, then he
left the service. He is a native of Ken
lucky, but received his appointment to An
napolis from Illinois, which state he has
since considered his home
Coghlan commanded the Raleigh in the
battle of Manila. and his handling of the
ship was such that his was among the
first names considered for advancement in
rank. as result of that historical victory.
The arrival of the cruiser in New York
was the occasion OF one of famous series
of dinners given in the banquet hall of the
Union League Club. 1t was at that dinner
that Admiral Coghian. then a captain re-
cited his famous 2oem entitled "Hoch der
Kaiser, the publication of which caused