El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-05
NAVY VAR D s
ARE TOO
MANY
Secretary Would Abolish
Some and Build UP the
Others Airships in War.
NAVAL SECRETARY
BELIEVES IN THEM

recommends giving up ana uiSpoSihS "
the naval stations at New Orleans
pensacola San Juan. Port Royal, New
London. Sacketts Harbor, Culebra aud
Cayite He finds that the average year
ly cost of maintaining these stations
for The past five years has been <l,oiz.
SIC. while very little useful work has
been performed therein. These facts are
brought out in his annual report TO-DAY
Referring 10 the success of aviator
Eugene Ely in his flight from the crui-
ser Birmingham, the secretary says
that it appears to be practicable also
for an aeroplane to board a ship. But
even if an aerial scout could not land
on a ship from his aeroplane, he could
be taken aboard from the water TO
make his report and the loss of the
aeroplane would be of no moment so
he requests an appropriation of s2o,OOO
to continue the aeroplane experiments
Too Many Navy Yards.
He points out that the United States
has twice as many navy yards as Great
Britain with a navy at least double the
size Touching the New Orleans yard.
II is said that it's position 100 miles up
the Mississippi river is such that In
time of war, no large vessels should be
sent there on account of the danger OF
the passes being blocked. The Pensa-
cola navy yard is condemned as I'M
possible of fortification and as strate-
gically unnecessary.
FayOrs Cuban Navy Yard.
The secretary thinks that the Gulf
and South Atlantic coasts can best be
defended by an effective naval station
at Guantanamo. Cuba, where the
emergency. docking and repair facilities
should be provided at an expense or
about 100000 or 100000. This would
involve the transfer TO Guantanamo of
IL ov,d
chine tools from the AlgierS yard and
from Pensacola
Key West alone of the gulf naval
stations should be maintained; not as
firstclass station but for the supply
and quick repair of small gunboats and
torpedo craft operating in the Car
ribean Sea, he says
Because the Portsmouth. Boston. New
York, Philadelphia and Norfolk yards
have accessible dry docks of which We
have too few, it is found impossible TO
give up any of them.
BremertOn Isolated
On the Pacific coast secretary Meyer
finds the Bremerton yard at a disad-
vantage through its lack of railroad
communication and its distance from
any large supply of labor But its fur
Their development is regarded as
necessity in view of the fact that the
1-SSl dl SOIIle lllIlc d1lCi bhC OPCAAAo
OF the Panama canal may be based In
the Pacific ocean.
The Mare Island navy yard IS very
severely criticised for its inaccessible
ity.1 both on account of its great dis
lance from San Francisco and the shall
lowness of Ghe channel The muddy
water of the San Fable bay is also said
to work havoc with the condensers of
the warships. No battleship injured in
l. @o1r TS1o
even for temporary repairs nor could
the yard be reached by a number of the
heavy battleships or heavy cruisers,
even when uninjured. But as $4,000
900 already has been spent on this
yard, the secretary thinks 1t wise to
utilize it for such vessels as can reach
it. He thinks a new navy yard at San
Francisco necessary if fleet is TO be
kept in the Pacific.
Pearl HarbOr, Hawaii!s
Pearl harbor will be made the prin-
cipal insular defense base in the Pa
cific ocean: Olengapo, in the Philip
pines is to be small repair station and
the station at Cavite is TO be disposed
of, its tools being transported to Dion
gapo.
Following the established policy in
the matter of annual naval construc
ton, the secretary recommends the au-
lier, one gunboat. one river gunboat,
two sea going tugs two submarines
and one submarine tender He strongly
deprecateS any break in the established
policy because of its evil effect on the
ship yards of the country, upon whose
maintenance the navy must depend In
time of war.
20 Years, BattIeship's Life.
Twenty years is about the effective
Of h0tf1aCbin and than thp
last 10 years of that period should Be
spent in the second line of defence.
This short life is rather the result of
evolution in ship design and ordnance
than of actual decrease in efficiency
in the ship itself. To make up for
the retirement of these obsolete yes
sells, there must be authorized after 1912
fl addition to the two ships per year
provided in the ablished program,
a sufficient number of vessels to main
tain the fleet at the minimum OF 20
ships of the first line.
Flag Officers All Old.
Our flag officers are the oldest in
the world, the secretary says, and con-
sequently retire within a year or two
after attaining that rank without de-
xeloping their fullest efficiency. There
fore, the secretary urges strongly the
passage of the personnel bill now
pending before congress which will in
sure rapidity of. promotion and the ac-
cesSion to the higher grades of the
service of a limited number of officers
especially qualified. He also requests
the creation of grades above the pres
ent rear admirals so as to conform to
foreign naval practice and sound adj
The Marines
The troubles which have agitated the
marine corps during the past year find
their reflex in a recommendation that
the appointment of the commandaDt of
a corps (whO should be a major gener-
all should be limited 20 four years in
stead of the present Indefinite term,
while the marines themselves should
be stationed in two principal posts. one
on the Atlantic and one on the Pa
-ific coasts, only small police details
being assigned to the various navy
yards.
Secretary Meyer points 10 saving of
about 100000 in the estimates for the
next fiscal year.
Would Honor Peary
The discovery of the north pole by
Robert E. Peary is declared. to be AN
event which has added to the honor