Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-12-05
WOULD RETIRE
PEARY AS
ADMIRAL
OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF
POLAR EXPLORER URGED
Annual Report of Secretary
Meyer Recommends Closing
of Obsolete Nevy Yards
Younger Officers Needed,

IBy Morning Journal Special Leased Wirel
Washington, Dee. A,-The results OF
a careful, personal investigation by
George Won L. Never OF
many Of the navy yards and naval sta
tions are apparent in certain sweeping
for the abolition ol
some of these. and the development
of others, as set out in the secretarNs
annual report just made public.
Secretary Meyer recommends CIV
ing up and disposing of the naval sta
tions at New orleans Pensacola, san
Juan, Port Royal, New London
harbor, Culebra. and Cavlte'
He finds that the average yearly cost
of maintaining these stations for the
past five years has been Sl,0f 800
while very little useful work has been
therein.
In making these recommendations
the secretary says he is following dl-
rectly along the progressive plans that
have been adopted In our great com
mercial and manufacturing consolida-
tions in this country, that Is of dis
mantling unnecessary and antiquated
plants and discontinulng their exist
enee, where ii has been demonstrated
that il Is Improbable TO continue
them at a cost not commensurate
with their product.
The secretary discusses the strong
points and shortcomings Of the Narl-
Gus 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
the size Of ours. Touching the New
orleans yard, II is said that its posi-,
tion. 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 Pensacola navy
yard Is condemned as impossible OF
fortification and as strategicallN un
necessary The secretary thinks that
the eulf and South Atlantic coasts can
best be defended by an effective naval
stasion az Guantanamo CUBA, where
the emergency docking ana repair
facilities should be provided ~ an en-
.nense Of about $500. 600 or 100000.
This would involve the transfer TO
Guantanamo Of the New orleans
floating dock and machine tools from
the Algicrs yard ana from fehsa
cola, Key West alone Of the gnlt
naval stations should he maintained;
not as a first class station, but for tho
supply and quick repair OF small gun
boats and torepdo craft operating IN
the Caribbean sea. The secretary pre-
diets that i'm time of war the cities OF
the gulf coast VIII be, from their nat
ural security, the chief sources OF sup
plies and material and the probable
points from which our troops VIII EN-
bark either for the Isthmus of PAN
anna for further transit, or for service
in the Caribbean, as may be required
Pecause the Portsmouth, Boston,
New York. Philadelphia and Norfolk
yards have accessible drydocks OF
which we have too few II Is found Inn
possible to give up any OF them. fort
Royal has a drydock unapproachaDle
for battleships or even cruisers ana
the Charleston dock is likewise use
less for battleships or cruisers, as the
channel fills in opposite the dock at
the rate Of from three to four feet
year.
On the Pacific coast, Secretary
Never finds the Bremerton yard at
n disadvantage through its lack OF
railroad communication. and It's DIS
tance from any large supply OF labor.
But its further Development is re-
garded as necessity in view of the
fqct that the fleet at some time after
the opening Of the Panama canal may
be based in the Pacific ocean.
The Mare Island navy yard Is very
severely criticised for its inaccessible
itv. both on account of its great dis
tance from san Francisco and the
shallowness of the channel The
muddy water of the San Pablo bay Is
also said to work havos with the con
dansers OF the warships No battle
ship injured in action could be taken
to Mare Island even for temporary
repairs nor could the yard be reached
by number of the heavy hattleshlps
or heavy cruisers even when unin-
iured. But as $1l,000,00O already has
been spent on this yard, the secretary
thinks that i'm order TO avoid "a t9tal
loss II would be wise to utilize II iof
such vessels as can reach II, ana also
for such manufacturing and repair
work for the larger vessels as can
readily be sent to the navy yard ana
returned to the vessels lying IN san
Francisco bay. Looking 70 the future,
he SAYS that IL will be necessary to
establish a docking and repair sta
tfon for battleships on san Francisco
bay, In some locality yet to be selected.
and. meanwhile, the fleet must be-
pend upon Puget Sound, althousn
there should be more than one yard
available, if the battlcship fleet is TO
be based In the Pacific ocean.
Pearl harhor will be made the
principal insular defense base In the
Pacific ocean; Olongapo. in the Philip-
pines. is To be a small repaid station,
and the StatlOn At tHNlAf - W W NiH-
posed of. its tools being transported to
OlongapO.
Following the established policy In
tho matter Of annual naval construc-
tion. the secretary recommends the
authorization Of two battleships one
collier one gunbOat one river gunboat,
two sea- going tugs, two submarines
and one submarine tender. He strong
Nv deprecates any break In the estab-
Iished policy because of its evil effect
or the ship yards of the country upon
whose maintenance the navy must de-
pend in time Of war. The small cruis-'
ers and gunboats are becoming use
less through age. ana while the de-
partment desires to minimize expendl-
lures on such vessels OF slight mill
tarv value. a certain number are an
solntely necessary for police duty. sur
veving and other work incidental TO
times Of peace.
Twenty years is about the effective
life of a battloship. and even then the
last ten years Of that period should De