Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-12-13
VIII Cost IoI Of Money n Cor.
rect Mistakes Of Naval Bureau.
SOCIAL INiufHgES Responsible
Tee Much Society Said to BE Mixed
Up With the Designing and Build
INC Of nat,leshirs-rho magazine,
Navy, Tells Pointed Truths.

WASHINGTON, D. c.. Dec. IL
Thnt the report of the Bureau of Con-
eifnction and Repairs Of the Navy De-
partment recently Issued, Is disinncn-
uoua. and ;hat the bureau system nj
preaent in vogue Is at fault, MS is said
To he dcrlonst' ated in the Pacific fleet,
ia The suoetancc of an editorial ap-
peallns IN The Navy for December
That conditions complained Of
woniG not exist in ten or twelve of the
nowcet ships but for tina success OF
the constructing bureaus IN resiating
tnr demands of COMMON sense. Is de-
clarcd by the writer.
Tile flrst requirement. for a sound
system is TO separate the Designing
that is 10 say. the broad planning o,
the warHhips from the building of
them" Il Is declared ''As things are
now there is no flnnl responsibility
Tor defects except such as the Bu-
rcan of Construction and Repair vol
UNFAIRLY assumes.
Social influences Blamed.
Moreover the bureau system has
developed an atmosphere OF coercion
mat Is exceedingly powerful. forcing
ri! those concerned in bureau work
into supporting the system as It is.
No one can study naval Washincton
NJ short range without being i'm
pressed by this fact. Social and poli-
tical Influences play large pa't in
Keeping All tho bureaus in line. AMI
ignorance or indifference on the part
OF the public as 10 the real facts OF
our naval. material have so ia per-
init'ed this wasteful and inefficient
system to continue.
The report OF the bureau appeara
10 argue that line officers have nj
ways had large snare &. determining
Tie characteristics of our fighting
ships.
The open turrot, |. G., the turrct
With a clear passage from the tulre.
10 iale handling room, into which the
powder and shell charges are brought
from the magazines. has been con-
denncd bv seagcing officers in almos,
innnmernble reports to the depart
mont
Any laymnn can sec that gun in
action ought not 10 be SO placed that
an accident to It's powder charges
VIII send n shower OF sparks into the
handling room. and probably into the
magazines.
Danger Of Explosions.
The presont practical consequence
of the failure of the bureaus to build
turrnts with the separation from
handling rooms demanded by ordinary
common sense. are. first. the constant
danger of explosions. to which all our
ships are now subject; and second.
request that Congress appropriate
the sum of s2,s62,0O0 TO- the purpose
of rectiHying these ineXcusable mis-
takes In ships already built and In
commission. These estimates should
be approved nv Congress for the
work is of the highest necessity. But
the existence of this necessity is a
severe commentary upon the work OF.
the bureau system This rebuilding.
OF tur~ets and ammunition hoists has
10 be done on everyone of the ships
now about to leave for the Pacific.
every one Of the new armored cruis-
ers now in the Pacific. and on the
South Carolina and Michigan. which
arc not yet finished--most of which
vessels were bnilt after these defects
We're recognized and had been called
to the attention Of the bureaus.
Urges Board of Design.
III urging Il new board on design,