The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-23
ADMIRAL Melville
Defends THE NAVY
Says the Attacks Of the
So.Called Expert Are
Very Absurd.
OLD, OLD STORY,
FIE ASSERTS
Ton for Ton and Gun for Gun,
the American Navy Is the
Best on Eartll-The Ad-
miral Is Very Well
Known in Rich
mond.

/
PHILADELPH1A. PA a,,srr ss,...
Ton for ton. and gun ~ 4. we have
the best warships in the world
Angered by an article that is to be
published in the next issue Sof Me-
Clure's Magazine. which charges im-
ing ships of the United States navy,
Rear Admiral George w. Melville gave
voice to the above-quited opinion OF
the American naval equipment.
y-engincer-in-chef of the United
States navy for sixteen years. retired
for the last four. but still subject to
the Presidents orders for service for
!, the next seven years, the rear-adiniral
pronounced his opinion with, an em-
phasis to which it is entitled as conf
| ing from a man looked upon as Il
naval authority.
Already many OF the newspapers
known to be averse to the administra-
ltion of the navy as II now exists have
published the Mcclure article In full
and have given It their fndorsement-8
some openly and others covertly. The
article comprises 10000 words. and has
been written by Henry Reuterdahl. dc.
1 scribed as IAN associate OF the United
States Naval Institute" and "Americar
editor Of Fighting Ships" an Englisf
naval magazine, He is also said to
be marine artist of accepted excel
lence." and with a thorough technical
knowledge OF naval vessels
II Is also tntimatcd that Reuterdahl
has obtained his information from
| prominent admiral in the navy. whose
position prevents him from coming ou,
in the open and disclosing over his
own name The Needs OF the Navy
the caption given the article. The
article is given the indorsement .,t
Rear-Adniral Luce. retired. founder Of
! the Naval War College. in a double
column interview in a New York news
! papsr xesterslay, nrld--- in Witch nc
/ Tlnees The blame for "the lcplorable
Ist;ite d1saffnirs upon the burea,, sys-
Item of tro control of the navy.
Mcclure. puhishet OF the magazine
! In which the article will appear. Lends
| his Endorsement also by declaring that
he would not have consented TO its
publication IL he had not frst virtually
i confirmed all the statements In t.ls
| article as facts
Otd chnrscs. srys Melville.
Don't reed the article to me :. sati
Admiral Melville. Just tell sn', what
he says. You hardly need to do that
| for know about what It is any-
how. 1 Rave been listening to tales Of
the samr sort for the last TWENTY-FIVE
Years m"dified only a5 tine l'rinsaa ~
! changes in the construction OF naNnts'
| vessels.
THE various statements. together VIII
!! she opinions of Admiral Luce and 5othetS
admirals. quoted anonymously. We're re-.
counted TO him. and then he said:
..I,nces IS right The whole trouble Is
las he says, the bureau system of naNN
control. That is always the trouble,
and no good can ever come out oil Inc
navy SO long as it Is controlled oy
those bureaus of the twentS-hTe-year-
oil, clique down there at Washington
| that wauts to get the control of the
navy into its own hands
1T is that Internal clique that wants
To rule or ruin thss ssnnvy that has been
making all the trouble aud they Wiz
Iecntinue to make i, until they take
Econtrol of the navy out Of the hands oil
| the President and his own adriserS and
/ have tho placing OF all the contracts
| for its civilians and the promotion OF
Its officers by tile military OF lighting
naval contingent Of the clisue.
Clique Wants General stnff
| .In4other words, they are raising all
| this clamor in the hope of bringing the n
same unfortunate condition of affairs
that now obtains in he army, and
which was brought about by Just such
! a slique In army circles. They want
general staff in the navy like the gem
EdtaI staff in the army. They Will dc
anything to dlscredit the present ad-
ADMINISTRATION Of the navy to accomplish
| that end.
4 "Warships are tile creation of8humanS y
minds and hands, and there Is nothing
of human construction that has not
some defects And then you must re-
member that theStyps OF vessels built
Item wears ngr are obsolete now.
"But I will make this general state
lment and YOU cannot quote me too
strongly in tho tnnkingSo of it that when
i,l.e vsssels OF tho past ten years have
been turned over to the government
| they have embodied all the best ideas
lin naval construction that had been
evolved anywhere in the world at the
tlme they were, turned over.
Now, whas do the ilghtlng othcers
| or tile uatS Know about the constrpc.
ition of II wurshlp" Not a bit more than
\ the driver of a age knows about
lthe making Of the carriage he can
drive SO we'll. You can't quote me too
Isnonsly in saying that the naval ofn-
GERS III that clique that inspires such
ARTICLES as these could no more build
! n hattleshtp than they could fly,
Deiunds old Ofiecrs.
let US consider the statement that
the officers OF the navy are too old,
maintain they arc not. that the system
of promoting officers by seniority that
still obtains in the navy remalps the
| best DO you want to see olsr atlmIrais.
title nine senior rear-udnirals, rank
| Ing with a lnajor- general in the army,
and the nine Junior admirals ranking
with aRbrlgadler-general in the army.
forget theil, duty to their ships and
! their country ana devote all their time
to the scramble for political prefer
ment In the hope OF further honors?
e"po you want To see our naval cap
| tains who> rank With the c;plnnels In \