The San Francisco call., 1910-12-05
SECRETARY Sees
NO ERA Of PEACE
Meyer Says That Construction
of Naval Vessels Must
Be Increased
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ties should be provided at an expense
of about 100000 or 100000 This
would involve the transfer to Guanta-
namo of the New Orleans floating dock
and machine tools from the Algiers
yard and from Pensacola.
Key West alone of the gulf naval
stations should be maintained, not as
a first class station, but for the sup
ply and quick repair of small gunboats
and torpedo craft operating in the Car
ribean 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 isthmus of Panama for
further transit or for service in the
Caribbean, as may be required.
Because the Portsmouth. Boston
New York, Philadelphia and Norfolk
yards have accessible drydocks, Of
which the nation has too few, it is
found impossible to give up any of
them. Port Royal has a drydock un-
approachable for battleships or even
cruisers. and the Charleston dock is
likewise useless for battleships or
cruisers as the channel fills in oppo
site the docks at the rate of from three
to four feet a year. But in regard to
final recommendations as to other yards
and auxiliary stations on the Atlantic
coast, save those specifically named for
abandonment, the secretary says he
awaits the recommendation OF the joint
board of the army and navy.
Pearl harbor will be made the prin-
cipal insular defense base in the Pa
cific ocean. Olengapo, in the Philip
pines, is to be a small repaid station
and the station at Cavite is to be dis
posed of, it's tools being transported
to Olongapo.
SMALL VESSELS REQUIRED
Following the established policy in
the matter of annual naval construc-
tion, the secretary recommends the au-
thorization of two battleships, two
colliers, one gunboat, one river gun
boat, two seagoing tugs, four subma-
rines and one submarine tender He
strongly deprecates any break in the
established policy because of its evil
effect on the shipyards of the country
upon whose maintenance the navy
must depend in time of war The
small cruisers and gunboats are be-
coming useless through age, and while
the department desires to minimize
expenditures on such vessels of slight
military value certain number are
absolutely necessary for police duty.
surveying and other work incidental
to times of peace.
Twenty years is about the effective
life of a battleship and even then the
last 10 years of that period should be
spent in the second line of defense.
This short life is rather the result
of evolution in ship design and ord
nance than of actual decrease in eff
cheney in the ship itself To make I'D
for the retirement of these obsolete
vessels, there must be authorized. in
addition to the two ships a year pro
vided in the established program. a
sufficient number of vessels to main
tain the fleet at the minimum of 90
ships of the first line.
A formidable array OF tables showing
the enormous amount of naval con-
struction under way authorized bv for
eign nations, is presented to justify the
appeal for an adherence to the regular
building program in this country.
FAVORs YOUNGER OFFICERS
Flag officers are the oldest in tba
world and consequently retire within
q year or two after attaining that rank
without developing their fullest eff
cheney. Therefore, Meyer urges strongly
the passage of the personnel bill now
pending befoye congress- which will
insure rapidity of promotion and the
accession to the higher grades of the
service of limited number of officers
especially qualified. He also requests
the creation of grades above the nres-
ent rear admirals so as to conform to
foreign naval practice and sound ad-
miniStration.
The troubles which have agitated the
marine corps during the last year find
their reflex in a recommendation that
the appointment OF the commandant of
a corps (who should be a major CEN
eraD should be limited to four wears
instead of the present indefinite term
while the marines themselves sbould
be stationed in two principal posts. one
on the Atlantic and one on the Pacific
coast only small police details heine
assigned to the various navy yards
Secretary Meyer speaks with pride
of the working of the reorganizatio,,
scheme inaugurated by himself and
points to a saving of about SIS 600 OOo
in the estimates for the next fiscal
year.
Referring to the success of Aviator
Eugene Ely in his flight from the
cruiser Birmingham, the secretary saws
that it appears to be practicable also
for an aeroplane to board a shin. Rut
even if an aerial scout could not land
on ship from his aeroplane, he could
he taken aboard from the water 10
make his report and the loss of the
aeroplane would be of no moment. So
he requests an appropriation of $4,000
TO continue the aeToplane experiments