The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-12-06
SECRETARY MEYERS REPORT
Favors Abandonment of s Navy
 Yards as Nearly USe-ess


 as has seluom been felt in naval cir 1 cles followed the publication of the annual report of Secretary of the Navy Meyer, in which he proposed | the abolition of the navy yards at New Orleans, Pensacola, San Juan, | Port Royal, New London, Sackett's 8 Harbor, Culebra and Cavite. By the | elimination of these seven yards Mey- | CT said that he removed an average annual expense for maintenance .)f $1,672,675. He declared that during ! the last five years very little useful yards named.
 One new navy yard is indefinitely suggested for San Francisco Bay. Following a discussion of the limita- | tions of the yards at Mare Island and Bremerton, Meyer said:
 'I conclude that it will be neces- sary to establish a docking and re- pair station on San Francisco Bay in some locality yet to be selected. Such | a repair station should include one or more docks of the largest size for taking our largest existing and con- ,, templated battleships.
 On the other hand Meyer recom- mends the further development of the Bremerton yards and enlarge ment of the channel at Mare Island lin view of the fact that a fleet at some time after the opening of the
 
 Pacific Ocean,"
 Discussing navy yards in general the Secretary said:
 ''The United States has over twice as many first class home navy yards as has Great Britain with a navy at least double the size of ours and , we have one more navy yard of the second class than Great Britain has. In other words We have in all Il first and second class navy yards in the United States, while Great Brit ain has but 6 of the same kind. Ger many has and France D." The Secretary recommends aband- onment of the yards at New Orlea as and Pensacola on the ground that they are strategically unnecessary. The Key West station, however, is 70 be retained, owing to its geographi- the fact that it supplements the naval base at Guantanamo. As to the yards along the Atlantic coast Meyer de- clares the Port Royal. (S. e. dry dock unapproachable for battleehips or cruisers except at an unjustifiable expense, and the Charleston, (S. O. dock useless for the same character of vessels owing to the rapidity with which it fills With debris. Since the Port mouth. Boston, New York, Phil- adelphia and Norfolk yards have ac- cessible dry docks for hattleships and efficient repair facilities, Never be- lieves it hardly advisable to give them up.
 Recommendation is made for. an appropriation of $25,000 with which to conduct experiments covering the use of the aeroplane for naval re- connoissance. Commenting on the flight made by Eugene Ely from tho deck of the scout cruiser Birming- ham Meyer said:
 ''This experiment and the advences which have been made in aviation seemed to demonstrate that the aero- plane is destined to perform some part in the naval war fare of the future. It appears likely that this will be limited to scouting. A scout which IS not strong enough to pierce the enemy's line can get as near as possible and then send an aeroplane 3 or 40 miles, obtain valuable in- formation and then return to the scout. Even il the aviator did not land on the scout he could be brought on board and deliver his information The loss of an aeroplane would pc of no moment, as the ship may easily carry others. The distinct value of service of this kind is easily seen.
 "The department contemplates fur ther experiments along these lines with the belief that it will be neces- sary in the near future to equip all scouts with one or more aeroplanes to increase the distance at which in formation can be secured"
 A saving of s4,300,00O in the esti- mates for the next fiscal year for the Navy Department is indicated by the Secretary-the second year of cur tailment. Notwithsta nding this eco nomy in the past, the Secretary de- clares there has been an increase in the sea-keeping ability of the fleet of 15 per cent; an increase of per cent. in the average speed, of 20 per cent. in the cruising speed and an increase of 16 per cent. in machinery horsepower. Despite this latter item and the greater mileage of cruising, the cost of fuel used in the navy has decreased $2,00O.0O0. Singular!y enough this decrease is more appar- ent during the latter half of last year than during the former, notwith- standing it was in the second half that most of the cruising occurred. The cost of maintenance for each ship
 in commission has shown a decrease over the year hefere of SEQ 900
 The Secretary asks Congress for legislation esta hlishing the present Meyer re-orCa nization scheme. His in this respect how ever occasioned surprise in naval cir cles owing to their being less than was expected. It was believed that Meyer would request that the naval aides. who are line officers and ra- place the old civilian bureau chiefs be given further Executive mower