The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-12-05
WOULD ABOLISH
EIGHT NAVY YARDS
Secretary Meyer Recommends
Radical Curtailment OF
Expenses
BUT WANTS NEW
STATION ON PACIFIC
Declares Southern and Colo
Mai Yards Have Done
Little For FIVE
Years

WASHINGTON. d. c.. Dec. 5.--A
shock such as mas seldom been felt
in naval circles followed the pupiica-
L tion to-day OF the annual report OK
/ secretary Of the Navy Meyer. IN which
ne proposed the abolition OF tine navy
yaras at New Orieans, Pensacola, san
Juan, Port Royal, New LONDON. Sack
etts Harbor, Cuiebra and Gazette. by
the elimination OF these seven yards
Meyer said that he removed an aver
age annual expense for maintenance
Il of t1.672,675. He declared That dur
Ing the last Ave years very little use
fui work had been done In any of the
yards named.
New Hard at Golden Gate.
One new navy YARD Is Indefinitely
suggested for San Francisco Bay. Fol-
lowing a discussion of the limitations
/ Of the yards at Mare Island and Bre-
merton. Meyer said:
Il conclude that 1t 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 recon-
mends the further development of the
Bremerton yards and enlargement of
the channel at Mare Island, in view
OF the fact that float at some time
after the opening of the Panama ca
nal may be based in the Pacific
ocean.
Has Too Many Navy Yards.
Discussing navy yards In general,
the secretary said.
I 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 sec
ond class than Great Britain has. In
other words. We have In all eleven first
and second ciass navy yards In the
United States. while Great Britain has
but SIX Of the same kind. Germany
has three and France five"
The secretary recommends the
abondonment Of the yards at New
Orleans and Pensacola, on the ground
that they are rategicaHy un.-eces-
sary. The Key West station, however.
is to be retained. owing to its geo
graphical situation as n base OF supply
and the fact that II supplements the
naval base at Guantanamo. AS to
the yards along the Atlantic coast.
Meyer declares the Port Royal IS. c.
dry dock unappraaehabie for battle
ships or cruisers except at an TN
iustiiia bic expense. and the Charles
ton IS. C.3 dock useless for the same
character of vessels, owing to the r.
pidity with which ii fills with debris.
Since the Portsmouth. Boz IN New
York. Philadelphia and Norfolk yards
. have accessible dry docks for battle
+ ships and efficient repair. facilities,
, Meyer believes il hardly adyisah bic to
! give them up.
.Aeroplane Experimental.
: Recommendation Is made for an
. appropriation of $4,000 with which
10 conduct experiments covering the
use of the aeropiane for naval re-
connoissance- Commenting on the
fight made by Eugene Ely from the
deck Of the scout cruiser birmingham,
Meyer said.
This experiment, and the advances
which have been made in aviation
seemed to demonstrate that tho aero
plane is destined to perform some
part in the naval warfare of the fu-
turs. 1t appears likely that this will
be limited to scouting. A scout which
, Is not strong enough to pierce the
| enemys line can get as near as pos
| slhle and then send an aeroplane thir-
| ty or forty miles. obtain valuable in
| formation and then return to the
| scout. Even II the aviator did not
4 / l.
| on board and deliver his information.
| The loss of an aeroplane would be OF
no moment as the ship may easily
| carry others. The distance value OF
service Of this kind is easily seen
The department contemplates fur
| ther experiments along these lines.
| with the belief that ii will be neces-
| sary in the near future to equip an
| scouts with one or more acropianes to
1 ot4 1{xfa AZ
| nation can be secured"
| Large Savings Is Outlined.
saving OF $5.09e.coo in the esti.
mates for the next fiscal year for the
Navy Department is indicated by the
| secretary---the second year of curtaii-
ment Notwithstanding this economy
in the past. the secretary declares
there has been an increase in the
sea-keepinE ability of the fleet OF Is
per cent: an increase OF s per cent
in the average speed, of 20 per cent
, in the cruising speed and an increase
! of l6 per cent. in machinery horse
. power. Despite this latter item and
: the. greater mileage OF cruising the
cost of fuel used IN the navy has do
creased $4,000. 900. Singularly enough.
this decrease Is more apparent during
|, the latter half of last year than during
the former, Notwithstanding Il was In
the second half that most of the cruis-
ing occurred. The cost OF maintenance
= for each ship in commission has show,
decrease over the year before oil
$4,000.
Increase In Navy.
Fl Secretary Meyer recommends the in.
crease of the navy in the next year b,
two battleships, one collier one pur
boat. one river gun boat two sea-go.
ing tugs, two submarines and one
submarine tender.
Recognizing Captain Robert E. Pear,
ofiicially as the "discoverer OF thu
North Pole Meyer suggests that Con
gress grant Aim recognition Of hi.
| achievement by advancing him 10 III.
rank Of rear admiral and placing hin
upon the retired list, with the highes
retired pay for that rank The secre-
tary seeks to overcome the objection
raised by Naval officers to Peary's ad
vAncement by suggesting that he b.
made = civil engineer with the rank o
rear admiral and not a rear admiral o.
the navy line.
The secretary asks Congress for leg
islation establishing the presen. Meyer
reorganization scheme. His recon-
mcndations in this respect, however
occastoned surprise in naval circles
owing to their being less than was ex.
pected. II was believed that Meyer
would request that the naval aides
who are line officers and renlaca ths