Omaha daily bee., 1910-12-05
Expenditure of Million and Half in
Five Years.
COMPARISON WITH GREAT BRITAIN
United States Has Twice as Many
Yards Now.
MARE ISLAND IS ACCESSIBLE
No BattIeship Injured in Action Could
BE Taken TO station-Prcvious
big Expenditures Compel
Retention.


WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.-The results Of a
careful, personal investigation by Secre-
tary George Won. l., Meyer Of many Of the
navy yards and naval stations are appar-
ent I'm certain sweeping recommendations
for the abolition OF some Of these and the
development OF others, as set out in the
secretary's annual report just made pub
lie.
Secretary Meyer recommends giving up
and disposing Of the naval stations at New
orleans. Pensacola, San Juan, Port Royal,
New London Sacketts, Harbor, CNlebra,
and Cavite. lie finds that the average
yearly cost Of maintaining these stations
for the last five years has been Sl672675,
while very little useful work has been per-
formed therein.
In making those recommendations the
secretary says he is following directly
along the progressive plans which have
been adopted in our great commercial and
manufacturing cancellations in this coun-
try, that is OF dismantling unnecessary
and anuquated plants and disconunuing
their existence where It has been demon
strated that Il is Improbable 20 continue
them at cost not commensurate with
| their product
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 Great Britain with a navy at
| least double the size OF ours. Touching the
| New Orleans yard, II Is said that its po-
sltion, 100 miles UP the Mississippi river
is such that in time OF war no large YES
sells should be sent there on account Of the
danger OF the passes being blocked The
Pensacola navy yard is condemned as inn
l possible of fortification and as stratesetic.
| ally unnecessary.
Guantanamo and Key West.
The secretary thinks that the gulf and
4 South Atlantic coasts can best be de-
Tended by an effective naval station at
] Guantanamo, cuba. where the emergency
docking and relsn~ ~faeili,fes shotad be pro.
Hded at an expense OF about Sa00 OOD or
$4,000 This would involve the transfer ia
Guantanamo Of the New Orleans floating
dock and machine tools from the AIgIers
yard and from Pensacola Key West
alone Of the gulf naval stations should bs
maintained; not as a first class station but
for the supply and quick repair OF srhalI
gun boats and torpedo craft operatjrfg I'm
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 will embark either for the Istbrnu.
Of Panama for further transit or for SER
vice In the Caribbean, as may be required
Because the Portsmouth, Boston, New
York Philadelphia and Norfolk Yards
have accessible dry docks, OF which we
have too few, It is found impossible 10
give up any Of them. Port Royal has a
dry dock unapproachable for battlesbips
or even cruisers, and the Charleston dock
is likewise useless, as the channel fills in
at the rate Of from three to four feet a
year
on the Pacific coast Secretary Never
finds the Bremerton yard at a disadvan-
tage through its lack OF railroad COM
munieation and it's distance from any
large supply OF labor But it's further de-
velopment is regarded as a necessity In
view of the fact that the fleet at some
time after the opening OF the Panama
canal may be based in the Pacific ocean
Mare Island of Little Value.
The Mare Island navy yard Is very Sc
verely criticised for its inaccessibility. both
on account Of its great distance from San
Francisco and the shallowness OF the
channel The muddy water Of the san
Pablo bay Is also Said to work havoc with
the condensers OF the warshlps No bat
tleship injured in action could be taken
to Mare Island, even for temporary re-
pairs, nor could the yard be reached by a
number OF the heavy battleships or heavy
cruisers, even when uniniured. But as
Sl4OOO,OOO already has been spent on this
yard, the secretary thinks that in order 60
avoid a total loss Il would be wise to
utilize il for such vessels as can reach Il
F..- sF1.1
work for the larger vessels as can readily
be sent TO the navy yard and returned TO
the vessels lying IN san Francisco bay
Looking to the future, he says that IT win
be necessary to establish docking and
repair station for battleships on San Fran
cisco bay I'm some locality yet to be Sc
lected, and meanwhile tho fleet must de-
pend upon Puget sound. although there
should be more than one yard available
If the batueship fleet Is to be based IN the
Pacific ocean
Pearl Harbor will be made the principal
insuar defense base IN the Pacific ocean.
Olengapo, IN the Philippines. Is 10 be
small repair station, and the station a.
Cavite is 10 be disposed Of les tools being
transported to Olongapo.
wants Two BnttIeshIpn.
Following the established policy IN the
matter OF annual naval construct. on. the
secretary recommends the authorization OF
two battleships, one collier, one gunboat.
one river gunboat two sea golng tugs.
two submarines and one submarine tender.
He strongly deprecates any break Ia the
established policy bocauee Of its eyil effect
on the shipyards OF the country upon
whose maintenance the navy must depend
IN time Of war. The small cruisers and
gunboats are becoming useless through age
and while the department desires 20 min-
mike expenditures on such vessels of sllght
military value certain number are abso-
lutely necessary Tor police duty. surveying
and other work Incidental 70 times of
peace.