The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-07

few needed auxiliary vessels. earnest ly hope that this programme will be | adoJted.
 Abolition of Navy Yards The Secretary of the Navy has given personaI examination to every navy yard and has studied the uses or the navy yards with reference to the necesslties of our fleet With fleet eonsideraoiy less than half the size of that of the
 British navy, we have shipyards more than double the number, aud there are several of these ship yards. expensivelS eouinped with modern machinery, which after investigation tho secretary of the Navy believes to be entirely useless TOT naval purposes He asks authority 10 abandon certain of them and to move thelr machinery to other places where IL
 can be made of use.
 In making these recommend ations the secretary is following direc-i3 along pro- eressiye lines which have been adopted
 in our great commercial and manufactur-
 ing consultations in this country; thaf is. of dismantling unnecessary and inade- ouate plants and discontlnu'hg their ex . lstenoe where it has been demonstrated that 1t is unprofitable to continue theis maintenance at an expense not com
 mensurate to their product.
 The secretary points out that the mos important naval base in the West lndies l is Guantanamo, in the southeastern part of Cuba. It's geographical situation IS admirably adapted to protect the com mercial paths to the Panama canal, and | he shows that by the expenditure of less l han half A million dollars, '..th the ma | ohincrv which he shall take from other | navy yards he can create naval sta l ton at Guantanamo of sufficient size ana eouipment to serve the purpose of an 1 emergency naval base. 1 earnestly 1oih | in the recommendation that he De gwen | the authority which he asks. l am quite aware that such action is likely to arouse | local opposition: but I conceive 1t to be
 axiomatic that in legislsting in the inter
 est of the navy, and for the general pro l tection of the country by the navy, mere l local pride or pecuniary interest in the | establishment of a navy yard or station ought to play no part The reoommen- dalton of the secretary is based upon l the judgment of impartial naval officers, | entirely uninfiuenced by any geographicai or sectional considerations.
 l unite with the secretary in the recon
 mendation that an appropriation be made
 10 construct suitable crypt at Annapolis
 for the custody of the remains Of John Paul Jones.
 | The complete success of olr country in arctic exploration should not remain un roticed. For centuries there has been | friendly rivalry in this field of efforT
 between the foremost natiors and be tween the bravest and most accomplished | men. Expeditions to the unknown north have been encouraged by enlightened gov ernments and deserved honors have been granted to the daring men who have con | orcted them The unparalleled achieve | men. of Peary in reaching the north pole. April G. 1909, approved by critical l exa,,,ination of the most expert scientists, | has added to the distinction C. our navy to which he belongs, and reflects credit upon his country. His unique success has | received generous acknowledgement from scientific bodies and institutiprs of learn inc in Europe and, Americ I recon
 mend fitting recognition by Congress of
 the great achievement of Robert Edwin
 Feary.
 BEREAVEMENT OF THE INTERIOR
 Appeals to Court In Land Cases
 The Secretary Of the Inte~ior recon
 mends a change of the law in respect tt
 the procedure in adjudicating claims for lands, by which appeals can be taken iron the decisions ! the department to
 the court of appeals of the District ol
 Columbia for judicial consideration oi
 the tights of the claimant This change
 finds complete analogy in inc present provision for appeals from the decisions
 of the commissioner of patents Thf
 iudement of the court in such eases
 would be of decisive value TO and claim
 ants generally and to the department O.
 the interior in the administration of tn,
 law, would enable claimants to bring int