The Detroit times., 1908-11-30
REUTERDAHL SAYS
CAPPS IS PARTLY
RESPONSIBLE
NAVAL EXPERT cRITicIzEs CON-
sTRucTioN BUREAU - AMERl.
CAN SHIPS ARE FAULTY, HE
SAYS.

NEW YORK, Nov. S0.-Replying to
Chief Constructor Caps. OF the navy
department. who denounced the critics
OF the construction bureau OF the navy.
in Chicago, recently. Henry Reuter-
dahl. the naval expert, says that Ad-
miral Caps is partly responsible for
the defective features OF battleships
In the American feet. Mr.. Reuter-.
dahl severely criticizes Admirals
Schley and Evans, vino. Admiral
Capps. said, believed the American
warsbips are among the best aioat
Mr.. Reuterdahl declares that Admiral
Schley has never served on a modern
batueship: that Admiral Evans,
year before his statement UNFOLDING
the naval construction bureau. point
ed out defects In certain American
battleships.
Mr.. ReuterdahIs statement follows:
The bureau system has been under
fire steadily for three years and the
fire will continue until the navy de-
partment Is reorganized on q military
basis. The public by this time real
ICES that millions and millions OF dol
lars have been misspent, and that our
ships. although In many ways they
excel their original designs, have been
faulty constructed
THE pressure Of public opinion has
accomplished the reforms that the
bureaus opposed and we reached the
astonishing conclusion that the bureau
system. for the sake Of hiding It's own
shortcomings. would sacrifice the well
fare Of the whole navy and possibly
the chance Of winning in war.
Capps Responsible.
AT a recent banquet In Chicago
the chief constructor, Mr.. Caps, one
of those responsible for the faults In
our later ships, marshaled the retired
officers and from some Of them OBJ
tanned laudations OF his own product.
Rear Admiral Schley declared that the
criticisms which came from his bro
other officers OF actual sea experience.
on modern vessels, and which they de-
clared to be founded on facts. were
unjust and untrue. Admiral Schley
has never served on a modern battle
ship.
March 6. 1908, Rear Admiral Evans
as COMMUNICATIVE chief of the North
feet, while en- route to the
Pacific, signed the report based upon
the recommendations Of the command
Ing officer Of the ships in the feet
calling the secretary's attention ID
mistakes in the various |
ships.
Less than a year later, after his
retirement from active service, Admir- |
al Evans says all these criticisms are
unjust misleading and silly. 1t SO
happens that the public criticisms
were absolutely Identical with those
made by Admiral Evans In his own
report. 1t becomes a matter for con-
gress to find out whether an officer
like Admiral Evans can so completely
change his mind.
1.-The result of the Newport confer
ence was the final thrust at the
bureau system-it was the proof that
the four newest battleships. worth |
SAC, 00O, 900, are defective in design.
Had a board OF real sea-going OIL
GERS been allowed to formulate the
characteristics of these ships previous
to the drafting of the plans they would |
have been the most perfect fighting
machines the world has ever seen.
President Commended.
'In the Newport conference. Pres |
ident Roosevelt again helped the navy. |
and IL was only through him that the |
conference became possible. The In
side story of the conference is one OF
the darkest pages In the history or
reform. II will be remembered that
the president ordered several younger |
officers to be In attendance. These
men were not affiliated with bureau
interests. and they believed in calling |
o spade a spade.
THE president demanded that every |
officer should vote by name on each
question coming before the body, and
declared that he would review the
findings. 1t was this which made the
accomplish results and not
q whitewashing investigation.
There is only one stop to it-anI
that Is the complete reorganization
OF the department, 1t is understood
that President Roosevelt Will present
a message to congress asking again
for it's reorganization.
when the department Is reorgan-
lied Il will become necessary to find
out who Is to blame for the past. II
will become necessary to inquire
whether Chief Constructor Caps, the
only man in the board OF construction