Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-07
DEMAND FOR REFORM
Navy Department Methods
Criticised.
DEFECTS IN WARSHlPS
Wishes of the Commanding Officers
Disregarded.
REPEATED PROTESTS IGNORED
Remedial Action by Congress Re-
peatedly Asked-Present System
Opposed to Progress.
REPEATED PROTESTS IGNORED

According to the Navy. in it's October
issue, there is crying reed for the reor-
ganlzation of the whole Navy Depart
ment" In a general criticism Of United
States battleships and of the bureaus re-
sponsible for their alleged defective con-
struction the paper says:
"Our criticisms have been attacked as
being unpatriotc, the point of view of
these critics apparently being that If there
are defects IN the fleet they should be con-
cealed as far as possible from the public.
in order that the department Itself may
quietly correct these defects and mistakes
in construction. and thus avoid a shock to
the public confidence.
This would indeed. be very good
method. if IL were reasonably reliable,
But as we have several times pointed out,
1t Is not reliable.
The Turret Disasters.
'The first serious turret disaster-that
on board the Massachusetts-did not suf-
fee to bring about the plainly necessary
changes in turret construction. The bu-
reaus were deaf to the energetic protests
of distinguished seagoing officers, and II Is
an interesting fact that one OF the most
emphatic OF these protests was made to
the department less than week before
the second great turret disaster-that on
the Missouri Our newest ships have tur-
rets planned like those of the Missouri
with the addition of the automatic shut
ters. which the Georgia accident proved
to be inefficient.
milton hoist was embodied in the wooden
batteships OF a century ago, and there
would seem to be no excuse for our hay-
ing to rediscover 1t at this late day.
fror rnfn nv
briefly to the recent steaming and gun
trials of our two newest armored cruisers.
the Washington and Tennessee. We do
not intend to go into details Of the reports
OF the board of inspection and survey on
the condition of these two ships. Their
hulls are well built and their propelling
machinery is generally efficient.
Officers Wishes Disregarded.
"But the reports of the board, COM
posed of seagoing officers. chosen for
their practical experience in the handling
Of ships and guns. show that the general
condition Of these two cruisers. with re-
gard to active service. Is highly unsatis
factory. Most OF the defects are not
grave. each by itself. but the accumuia
ton of minor defects shows that the con-
struction bureaus have. even up to today.
diSregarded the urgent wishes of ship-us-
ing officers.
Zone defect however, is 50 important
as to deserve specific mention. The board
OF inspection and survey calculates the
radius of action of these two new ships
at 1886 knots. which the board considers
fatally inadequate The board, there
fore. urged the use of the forward tor
pedo room as a coal bunker. and the stow
regular coal bunkers. Neither ship has
either torpedo tubes or fire control sys-
TEN.
The four bureaus concerned with build
ing ships build ships with far too little
reference to the requirements OF men who
handle these ships. The bureaus have
had before them for years past full In
formation regarding foreign advances In
warship observation-disclosures sup
piled by the office of naval intelligence.
The separation OF turrets from handling
rooms and the two-stage ammunition
hoist have been before the bureau of ord
nance and construction and repair for at
least five years past.
Repeated Protests Ignored.
Yet in spite of this Information 1t is
for the most part only after ships have
been built and mistakes solidified in
steel that the seagoing officer has an Of
ficial right to make his opinions known.
THUS. in the case of turrets: Line
officers have for years past made official
protest against the present design, until
now IL Is to be changed at q great outlay
which might have been entirely avoided
by correct design in the beginning. The
faults reported by the board of Inspection
and survey of the Washington and Ten
nessee are likewise faults that have long
been the subject of protest from line Of
1cers. But in this case, too, the bureaus
made inexcusable mistakes which must
now be corrected at increased cost and
loss of time.
Not all of the bureaus are equally at
fault in these matters. Equipment and
steam engineering. of course. have moth
Ing to do with armor belts and turret
designs. But the general system. as now
in operation. IS nevertheless lacking In
efficiency. At one time or another a par
tlcular bureau will do excellent work. as
ordnance Is now doing in regard to guns
and sights. But II the bureau for any
reason Whatever iags behind 1t can be
ovelru.ed or brought up to the mark only
by the interference OF the civilian Secre-
tary or the civilian President
Reorganization Imperative.
This is obviously a burden which
should not be cast upon untechncal men,
however intelligent. There Is crying need
for the reorganization Of the whole Navy
Department. Secretaries of the Navy,
one after another. for many years past.
and many bureau chiefs along with them
have appealed to Congress for remedial
action. The system provided by Congress
has been twI sted into means of pro-
tcctins conservatism and perpetuating
:ncxcusable defects in our warships. 1t is
me that Congress stepped In to do away
with this misuse OF the machinery II has
provide