New-York tribune., 1907-01-11
.NAVY'S NEEDS URGENT.
admiral Mason Asks Reserve Guns,
Ammunition and T'orpedoes.
From The Tribune Bureau. J

From The Tribune Bureeu1
Washington, Jan. 1O.-The Navy Depa rtment
Is alive 10 the necessity of being fully pro-
pared TO meet the emergency of war. as is shown
by statements made to members of the House
Naval Affairs Committee during the last few
days by Rear Admiral N r. Mason, chief Of
the bureau of ordnance.
Admiral Mason told the members of the COM
mittee that the government should have 1880
mines like those used by the Japanese FOR
blockadng Port Arthur. He declared the gov
ernnent needed them in getting ready for an
emergency and that they were especially i'm
portant this year He said 1t was also I'M
perative that there should he acquired at the
earliest date practicable a reserve supply OF
ammunition sufficient to refill the main battery
magazines Of the fleet twice and the secondary
magazines once This. he said. was because a
modern battleship at her modern rate of gun
fire would exhaust the age zines supplying her
main battery in about half an hour, and her
secondary battery would not last much longer.
He said that this reserve should be undertaken
at once. as the manufacture of the proper shells
for the use of the government would require two
or three years.
The members we're told by tho admiral that
the manufacture of reserve guns for the ships
of the navy should be undertaken at the earliest
possible moment in order to have them ready to
replace the guns withdrawn from service for
lining. AS this process is slow. he declared, the
necessity augmented. .
The fact that the torpedo fleet of the United
States is not prepared for war also brought
out by Admiral Mason. He asked that 100 is
inch torpedoes be immediately manufactured at
the torpedo station and advocated that re-
serve of 800 Of this size and 32o 21-nch torpe-
does be made. Each one Of these COTS $1,000
The admiral impressed upon tho committee
that the torpedo question is even more impor-
tant than the question of reserve ammunition
and reserve guns. Because this question went
over last year and has been passed by year by
year for several years. he believes that the
United States is now unable to supply torpedoes
for the small number of its torpedo boats.
He told the committee that. considering the pos
sible consequences. he could not regard the con-
dition of the navy with regard to torpedoes as
anything but deploreble Torpedoes are an alb
soluts necessity If the navy is to be prepared
for war. because the torpedo boats cannot
make more than one attack, and some of them
not even that.
Admiral Mason Is quoted as saying 10 the
members of the Naval Affairs Committee: THE
effect of procrastination in preparation for war
has recently been conspicuously shown that
we who are especially charged with the prepara
ton of the navy feel that 1t is our duty to i'm
lots money with the danger of such policy.
All our information indicates that other nations
are not procrastinatng. Great Britain. France
and Japan have government torpedo factories.
Germany has one much under govern
ment control as TO be practically government
factory. The Whitehead Company. at it's fact
cries in Austria. and England. Is turning out
1000 torpedoes a year mostly for these powers.
Our only source of supply is one company that
manufactures torpedoes secondary product
with a capacity Of 100 year. and whose work
is not altogether satisfactory. In my opinion
the situation is fraught with danger. and
think cannot get TO work too soon 10 provide
the means 10 supply our needs"
Some of the members of the committee wers
much impressed by this They asked the adj
miral why he had not pressed the matter be-
fore. Because the admiral replied we did
not realize the necessity before the situation
was upon us, as we do now. The experienc. in
the last year has convinced us that we can
produce good torpedoes and want the tools
with which to do So"
Admiral Converse. chief OF the Bureau of
Navigation, told members OF the committee that
the navy needed 1000 more men during the
coming year to I'LL the places Of those who have
deserted. and 10 provide for the larger needs OF
the present navy. He said the government Ia
having hard time TO get good seamen because
Of the prosperity of the country, which enables
applicants TO secure higher wages with che noes
OF better future in civil life
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