The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-05
MANY USELESS
AND COST is HIGH
He Sees No Chance for Disarm
ament, as Nations Must Main
tain Navies to Enforce De-
crees Of International Court.
Asks Recognition for
Peary.

results of careful personal investi-
cation by Secretary George Won l..
Meyer of many of the naval yards and
naval stations are apparent in certain
sweeping recommendations for the abo-
lition OF some of these and the devel-
opment of others, az set out In the
secretary's annual report, just made
public.
Secretary Meyer recommends giving
UP and disposing OF the naval stations
at New Orleans, Pensacola. San Juan,
Port Royal, New London. Sacketts
IIarbor. Culebra and Cavite. He finds
that the average yearly cost of main
taining these stations for the past i've
years has been s1,672,675. while very
little useful work has been performed
therein
Discusses the Yards.
The secretary discusses the strong
points and shortcomings OF the various
yards at length and Incidentally he
points out that the United States has
twice as many navy yards as Great
Britain. with a navy at least double
tho size OF ours Touching the New
orleans yard, II is said tina, It's pos
ton, 100 miles mp the Mississippi River,
Is such chat in lime of war no large
vessels should oe sent there on account
blocked The pensacola Navy Yard IS
condemned as impossible OF fordhca-
tion and as stfategieally unnecessary.
The secretary thinks that the Gulf and
South Atlantic coasts can best be de-
Tended by an effective naval station
al Guantanamo, Cuba. where the cmer-
gency docking and repair facilities
should be provided at an expense OF
abou: 100000 or 100000. This would
involve the transfer to Guantanamo or
the New Orleans floating dock and ma
chine tools from the Algiers yard and
from Pensacola. Key Vest alone OF
the Gulf naval stations should ba
maintained, not as hrst-class station.
sitas n st;!ss .trp,y and qtick teaair
OF small gunboats and torpedo craft
operating in the Caribbean Sea.
The secretary predicts that in time
of war the cities OF the Gulf coast will
be, from their natural security, the
chief sources OF supplies and material
and the probable points from which
our troops VIII embark either for the
Isthmus OF Panama, for further tran
sit. or for service in the Caribbean, as
may be required,
Charleston Dock Useless.
Because the Portsmouth Boston. New
York, Philadelphia and Norfolk yards
have accessible dry docks. of which
there are too few, IT is found impos-
sibla to give UP any of them. Fort
Royal has dry dock unapproachable
for. battleships or even cruisers, and
the Charleston dock is likewise use
less for battleships, as the channel
ills in at the rate OF from three to
four feet q year.
The Mare Isaind Navy Yard is very
severly criticized for its inaccessibility,
but as sl4,000,0O0 already has been
spent on this yard, the secretary thinks
that in order to avoid q total loss IL
would be wise to utilize 1t for such
vessels as can reach 1t and also FOR
such manufacturing and repair work
for the larger vessels as can readily be
sent to the navy yard and returned
10 the vessels lying in San Francisco
Bay. Looking TO the future, lie says
that it will be necessary to establish
docking and repair station Tor pattie-
ships on San Francisco Bay In some
locality yet to be selected, and mean
while the fleet must depend upon
puget Sound, although there should be
more than one yard available II the
battleship fleet is to be based in the
Pacific Ocean.
Pearl Harbor will be made the prin-
cipal insular defense base IN the Pacl-
tic Ocean; Olengapo, In the Phlllpplnes
is to be small repair station. and the
station at CARTE is TO be disposed OF,
its tools being transported to olengapo
Vessels Recommended.
Following the established policy in
the matter of annual naval construc-
tion, the secretary recommends the au-
thoriZation of two battleships, one
collier, one 'gunboat, one river gun
boat. two sea- going tugs. two subma-
rlnes and one submarine tender He
strongly deprecates any break IN the
established policy because of Its cvil
effect on the shipyards Of the country
upon whose maintenance the navy
must depend in time OF war.
twenty years is about the effective
life Of a battleship, and even then the
last ten years of that period should be
spent in the second line of defense.
AS it will be necessary for at least
five or six nations to maintain navies
to enforce the decree at an interna-
tional court, the secretary does not
feel that we are very near tho inter-
national settlement of all issues and
The era of international peace, and he
declares that the delusion that ma
ton with large population, great
wealth and resources, is immune from
attack has been dispelled by the his
tory of war.
Compliment for Penry.
The discovery Of the North Pole by
Robert Il. Peary, after years of pat
lent and arduous endeavor. Is declar-s
ed to be an event which has added to
the honor and credit of our country.
Says Secretary Meyer; 1T is fitting
that the government should recognize
the value of his SERVICES, and their
successful termination. 1T 1t meets
with your approval recommend that,
Peary, the disooverer of the North
Pole. be given a commission by legis-
lation. as rear-admiral Of the corps of
civil engineers OF the navy, to date
from April s, 1908, the date of his
discovery or the pole. and that he be
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