Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1909-03-15
DID PRESIDENT TAFT sLuNosR'

OF the last SIX secretaries or the
navy five have been bankers and law.
yers. Under their administrations
millions OF dollars Of public money
have been wasted. The extravaganza
OF the heads OF our navy has been so
colossal as to attract the attention OF
practically the entire outside world.
European military journals have re-
peatedly pointed out that much Of the
money appropriated for the navy il
used TO build political organizations
instead OF battleships.
Critics of the system and business
methods OF our navy. in the United
States as well as abroad. have prac-
tically agreed that the cause OF much
OF the wastefulness has been that the
men at the head of the department
has been a lawyer or banker without
the least knowledge of naval matters.
Prominent naval men hoped President
Taft would not find the same pitfall
his predecessor did, but that he would
aHN1AAN a. man Win Ut ANdEN hM aver
age knowledge of naval construction
to take charge Of our billion dollar
navy. II is pointed out there are a
number OF good men in the country
that are familiar with the navy that
he could have selected from without
entering the ranks Of bankers and law
yers. Although many prominent naval
officers have indicated their disgust
at Mr.. Taft's action in appointing
another civilian to run the navy, they
hesitate to speak publicly on the situa-
ton as IL is not profitable for a naval
officer to incur the displeasure Of the
chief executive.
Former Postmaster General Meyer,
the new Secretary Of the Navy. is a
banker. To begin with he knows prac-
tically nothing about a battleship or
naval station. The six men who pre-
ceded him as head of the navy enter
ed upon their duties in a similar pre-
dicament. And they did not remain
in their position hardly long enough to
get acquainted with the department
heads. According TO Representative
Dawson Of Iowa, a Republican, enough
money was wasted every year to build
a modern frst-class battleship. Daw-
son is a member Of the committee on
Naval Affairs, and secured his in
formation from the inside.
The navy department spends $751;
100000 annually. What becomes Of
this vast sum?
Only about twelve millions go to
building new ships. Only about four
millions, according to Senator Hale, go
to enlarging the dry docks and equip |
ping the yards where ship repairs are
made. Il does not require 121 mill
ions for coal and ammunition for the |
ships. nor even for the salaries and |
food Of the men and officers.
Pay Inspector Mudd has just made |
a report TO the Secretary Of the Navy |
which shows where the money goes.
A large sum goes to yards that are al |
most ueless. With the exception Of
New York. Newport News and one or
two others, the yards have not enough |
water in the harbors which approach |
them 20 admit Of the entry Of the big |
ships now making up the fighting |
strength OF the navy; and II ships |
could get up 20 the yards. the docks
they would find there are too small |
20 take them.
What do these yards do then? Pay |
Inspector Mudd found az least part Of
the answer They are all busily en-
gagged In distributing money 90 the |
constituents OF certain Senators In
whose home States they are maintain
ed. The chief benehciaries OF these
yards are not the navy nor the Ameri-
can public. but the friends Of Senators |
Hale. Galliger. Perkins. McEnery and |
Smith OF Maryland.
All kinds OF ship stores are manu-
featured az the yards. But the answer |
20 where the money goes Is found In |
the cost OF this manufacture. II Oc-
CURED % Pay Inspector Mudd 20 make |
some comparisons between the cost OF
articles manufactured az the different
yards. The following extracts from
the Mudd report tell their own story
a l6.foot dingey cost SlOil7 az one
yard and Sl963i az another-pretty |
close 20 twice as much, II will be OBJ