Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-02-26
NAVY ATTACKS FALSE
Rear Admiral Converse Asserts
 Critics Talk at Random.
SIMS AND HILL INVOLVED.
Senator Martin Would Have Evans Drop Writer of the Articles Criticis- ing American BattIeships on One of Desert Islands of the Pacific.


 Desert Islands of the Pacific.
 Washington, Feb. 26.-At the close of the testimony given by Rear Admiral q. A. Converse, retired, and Chief Con- structor W. l.. Clapps before the sen ate naval committee Senator Perkins suggested an apology to those officers for having summoned them to reply to criticisms of the character under con sideration. Senator Hale readily ac- cepted the suggestion, but said an in- vestigation has to be held, as the lay man could not understand how "ab- surd' the magazine articles really were. "They attracted the attention of the country" he said, "and we were forced to investigate"
 The hearings developed the fact that in the opinion of Rear Admiral Con verse, whose judgment the committee seemed inclined to accept as final, the United States has the best means for the construction of naval vessels in the world. The article of naval criticism which appeared in a magazine issued three months ago was taken up in de- tail and it's allegations replied to by Rear Admiral Converse. Replying to direct questions of Senator Tillman as to the participation of naval officers in these criticisms, Rear Admiral Con verse explained that reports had been made to the secretary of the navy in which views were expressed which very closely followed those put for ward in the article in question.
 lie named Commander W. S. Sims and Lieutenant Commander F. K. Hill as officers who had made reports on some of the matters criticised in the article under consideration. Senator Martin near the close of the hearing made the suggestion that Rear Adml- ral Evans drop the writer of the arti- cle off on one of the desert islands of the Pacific.
 In his testimony Rear Admiral Con- verse stated that there was not bat tleship in the United States navy which would not, with full supply of coal in her bunkers, have eleven inches of armor belt above her water line.
 Mir Hale at the outset called upon Rear Admiral Converse to take up the magazine article and give his views of the charges contained therein. The rear admiral characterized some of the charges as 'very unimportant," some to be ''so stated as to give wrong im- pressions" and some to be absolutely false"
 On the subject of the responsibility of naval officers for the criticisms of the navy Senator Tillman asked the rear admiral if he knew the names of any officers other than Sims and Hill who had written reports or made criti- cisms which afterward were made the basis of attacks upon the navy.
 "I do not" replied Rear Admiral Converse.
 "was there any difference of opinion among members of the board of con- struction in regard to the matters, such as the position of the armor belt. tur- ret construction and ammunition hoistsT' was asked.
 "The members of the board were unanimous in approving the designs used" The rear admiral stated that change had been made in the turret construction of the Delaware type, which is now building. in that a two stage ammunition hoist had been au- thorized. He said this change had not been made with any idea of additional safety. but because greater speed was possible. He declared that not a single accident that has happened on any of the American battleships had been due to the open turret, that all of the aeci- dents had originated at the breach of S,e gun and that the obvious remedy Is additional screens between the breech and the ammunition charges prepared for reloading
 Further on In his statement Rear Ad- miral Converse said that Admiral Togo went into battle with only ten days supplies on board his ships. He called attention to the fact that articles of war provide that a commander shall prepare his ships for battle. which would mean that he should discharge all unnecessary weight. The admiral also declared that he considered the South Carolina type the best class of fighting ships and that never before In the history of the world has there been such a completely equipped feet as that which the United States sent to the Pacific.
 eL.I- s o-s. c.f