The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-28

are entitled to credence. In the begin
ming Mr.. Reuderdahl says.
This article will show some of the
chief reasons why the American navy
is unprepared for war; 1t will be a
statement of facts, not of opinions.
Most of these facts are unfamiliar to
the general public; many of them may
seem too extraordinary to be credible
l do not ask that my word be accept
ed for them; it is unnecessary that it
should be. The various points which
are stated here have all been pub
lished in technical Journals; some of
them have been embodied in presi-
Dental messages. They may all be
verified from any sea-going officer of
the navy. or, il the reader is sufficient
iy interested, by the testimony of his
own eyes"
Then he proceeds TO make out his
case. Defect after defect is pointed
out in our navy, from the placing Of
shell-proof armor below, instead of
above the water line, to imperfectly
constructed turrets, insufficient am
mrnition hoists. bows that are too low,
wide tErret ports, lack OF torpedoes
and destroyers, poor protection for gun
crews, open magazine shafts and many
others. For years the navy department
has had knowledge of these defects.
They have been pointed out again and
again, but all protests have gone I'M
needed Mr.. Reueterdahl explains how
this is possible.
He says that mo human being is re-
sponsible for this thing. 1t is done by
system-an organization so consti-
tuted that its very nature compels it
to perpetuate mistakes" The system
is system OF bureaus, with a civilian
secretary of the navy at the head of
all of them. In all there are seven of
Them navigation. ordnance, equip
ment, construction and repair steam
engineering. supplies and accounts.
and medicine and surgery. "The criti-
cisms of the navy all come back to
them" says Mr., Repterdahl They
are, when these criticisms are to be
acted upon, practically both Judge and
defendant. Naturally, they acduit the
defendent almost invariably. This kills
criticism"
The remedy, in Mr.. Repterdahl's
opinion, is a board to guide the secre-
tary of the navy, the board to be COM
posed of men who know exactly the
views of the sea-going service" This
is in line with a recommendation made
TO congress by President Roosevelt in
his message of 1908. In his concluding
paragraph, Mr.. Reuterdahl discloses
the purpose of his article when he
says:
But, whether this occurs or not. it
is high time the navy itself be in a DO
sition to conduct its affairs efficiently.
To do this, it must have a new sys-
TEN of management. There is only one
means by which this can be attained
by the arousing of public opinion, and
the enlistment of its influence to bring
this change about. My purpose in this
article is merely the arousing of this
public opinion. l am exposing moth
ing whatever that the naval authori
ties of other countries 90 not already
know. | am telling no national secrets
TO foreigners. | am merely informing
the American public of conditions
which it should have known of long
ago; and my only hope is that. know
ing them, it viii correct them"
If all. or even half of what Mr.. Reu-
terdahl says is true, it is high time the
American public knew it. And it is
high time the evils complained of were
corrected. He has not criticized the
personnel of the navy. He has merely
criticized the equipment with which
the officers and men are handicapped.
This is a matter that should be easv
to remedy. Certainly the ReuterdaH
comments will cause widespread COM
ment, some favorable and some I'M
favorable. But the fact remains that
if the navy is full of defects the time
to know it is now. time of profound
peace.