The Monte Vista journal., 1908-02-22
REPORT or AppM,RAL CONVERGE
ANSWERS HOSTILE
CRITICISMS.
OUR FLEET DEFENDED
PERSONNEL OF NAVY FIRST
CLASS AND ARMAMENT is
UNSURPASSED.

Washington.-By direction Of the
President. Secretary Metcalf has made
public the report Of Admiral Converse
on the fighting ships Of the American
navy. called forth by many criticisms
recently published In magazines and
otherwise. This report was prepared
primarily to satisfy the President Is
to the exact state of our navy ships
compared with those of other, navies.
and Its publication Is authorized with
the design to reassure the American
sailors As to the quality Of weapons
with which they mus, 60 into battle.
Admiral Converse characterizes the
criticisms as prepared by persons
whose knowledge Of the subjects dis
cussed was limited and incorrect"
There was. he says. ample justification
for the adoption Of the battleship de-
signs which have been followed.
ut Is not claimed that mistakes have
not been madej he adds. "or that our
ships are without faults, but In view
Of the then state Of the art of battle
ship building this fact Is not to be
he
the mistakes were so few and that
none were really serious. In this re-
spect our record will compare favor
ably with that Of foreign services"
In tho ninety-one pages which the
admiral devotes to the defense OF the
navy. the subjects dealt with include
battle drills. freeboard OF American
ships, height of gun positions. torpedo
AAR~ hAt
designs, ammunition hOists. in and out
turning screws, the kearsarge and
Kentucky and general notes. His EN-.
phatic conclusion Is:
"Our ships are not inferior to those
In foreign services"
I'VE have" he says. made COM
promises In our designs Of battleships.
because It Is impossible to construct
. perfect battleship; such comprom-
iees have, perhaps detracted from the
desired posfect ships In some respects.
but 1t The same time have made Il pos
siblo to improve upon some other ex'
istjng disAdvantage, and. on the whole.
the compromises. each and all. have
tsaded towards . nearer approach to
the desired perfect nnality. Other nA-
tions have iaborsd and will. like our
selves, continus 70 labor. under this
same dimculty in sndeavoring TO ap-
proach ~ near - possible to that i'm.
posstbility-A perfect battleship.
The quality Of the material Of our
navy 10 Inferior 70 none: in quantity
OF vessels alone are We lacking. With
an increase II number Of ships the Am.
erican navy will have been supplied
thN only feature necessary to make It
second to none In all that tends TO.
ward Ashting e@ciency. And when
the stress oe actual combat, II such
should ever unfortunately come. brings
the oaly real practical test. our coun.
try nsed have no misgivings or fears.
but that our battlsshipo will give an
excellent account OF Themselves. and
prove themselves all that We have de-
signed them for and know them to be. +"
The admiral says In treating our
battle drills that Il Was not until the
sDetAg q 1905 that our new navy"
achieved Tie Size OF . squadron
eight battleships: and not until last
spriAg that " acquired . noet--two
sQuaAroas. Il thea for the nrst time
became possible 70 carry out 6set tao.
tic1. These were begun In July, were
interrupted for target practice and -.
sumed aGaln In the present voyage 10
the Paci6c coast. In this oonnectiou
the admiral remarks:
"Ths personnel OF our navy, In ambi.
tion and professional knowledge. u
second to none II the world"
Il II admitted BY the admiral that
the Indiana and kcarsarge classAs tths
nrst. battlsships Of the navyl are too
low forward for sfacicnt sAghting Ut
sea n fairly heavy weather. but the
remainder Of our battieships could
without doubt give . GOOD account Of
themselves In . AGht at 60 In any
weather In which Il 70 q all likely for
. heet 70 engage"
The question presents the ehoics Of
being we'll armed and consequently
weighted lower II the water, OF being
lightly armed and ssttins high out u
10 stated 70 b the policy Of ths An.
ericaa navy 10 always have our ves.
sels armed better thaa or oppoosnts.' y
VIII peeeeeuts oeuehesM pselSo.
Wnshlagtoo,-P ara "a b