Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-04
IS SECOND TO NONE
Secretary NeWberry Declares
That Navy Is Up to Date.
CHARGES BY G. K. TURNER
Effect of Consolidation at the Navy
Yards.
SMALL DEFECTS ARE ADMITTED
Says That Critics Statements Are
Promised on Imaginary and I'm
possible Conditions.
CHARGES BY G. K. TURNER
SMALL DEFECTS ARE ADMITTED

NEW YORK. February 4.-Cnder the
heading "Scrapng OFF the Naval Barna-
cles" Secretary Newberry of the Navy
Department has written for this weeks
Literary Digest a reply to the criticisms
made by George *. Turner in McClure's
Magazine for February
Mr.. Turner's Charges.
Mr. Turner charged that navy could
be run at an expense Of $4,000. 600 a year
less than the American navy costs that
could annihilate ours in a couple OF
hours fighting" He insisted. with
other things. that the navy yards are
located and run more with an eye to
political considerations than to naval
efficiency; that too much Of the navy is
on land-in the navy yards under pollti-
cal control; that there is no place in the
United States where fleet OF modern
warships could be repaired after naval
battle, and that of the no larger Ameri-
can warships in commission not more
than thirty would be of the slightest
consequence in naval battle
Based on Imaginary Conditions.
Secretary Newberry replies that Mr..
Turner has promised his statements ION
an imaginary and impossible set of con-
ditions" This constitutes the essential
fallacy of his deductions and makes his
figures more startling than accurate"
writes Mr.. Newberry.
1T is as though he asserted that the
United States Steel Corporation might
effect great saving las doubtless II
could if its present plant could be inn
mediately discarded without loss and In
stantly rebuilt in accord with the latest
Developments of the art. Mr.. Turner has
imagined a navy consisting of what he
considers the proper number of ships,
built and equipped over night, so that
the very latest ideas are expressed III
their construction, together with sup
porting establishment consisting of what
ne considers the necessary number of re-
pair plants to take care of this ideal
fleet 1t is impossible to discuss state
ments put upon this basis or to make any
detailed comment on them"
Reduction of Naval Stations.
Continuing, the Secretary says:
Mr. Turner states that all but three
stations on the Atlantic and one on the
Pacific coast could be dispensed with
and that the yard force could be cut to
less than 10 per cent of the present
strength. or about 5000 men. He for
gets. apparently, that Cavite, in the
Philippines, we'll as west coast re-
pair plant must be maintained on the
Pacific and that the Washington gun
factory, employing about 1900 men, and
which must be kept up, would more
than absorb the number of men he allows
for the whole establishment.
The question for the country. there
fore, and for it's representative, the.
head of the department, is not what
might be done If magcan's wand could
summon complete organization but
what may best be done with that which
has developed coincidentally with the art
of making war. II must not be forgot
ten that naval warfare and the imple-
ments for waging it have absolutely
changed during the period Of less than
Two decades. 1t is common knowledge
that ships have developed in size beyond
the widest forecasts of even few years
ago. Docks that were thought ample for
the needs of all time and harbors with
corresponding depth of approach have
become inadequate. There are still docks
and approaches able to take our heaviest
vessels when needed. though Mr.. Turner
does not emphasize this fact and larger
docks are building"