The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-09-26
TOO MANY NAVY YARDS.


The people Of New England are re-
ioicing greatly in the recommendation
which Mr.. Meyer, Secretary of the
Navy. will make with respect 10 the
navy yard al Charlestowu. Mr. Meyer
favors that location for an immense
navy yard with the greatest fervor.
II is well known TINT Secretary
Never wishes to abolish most of the
navy yards and concentrate the work
in few, making these few large and
up-to.date in all machinery. appliances,
and efficiency. There is no question
hut that as broad, general PROPOSE
tion. the Secretary is right in desiring
10 abolish the small navy yards, which
are practically useless from the mod
crn navy standpoint; and his proposal
to have but few navy yards. and make
these the equal Of any i'll the world,
must commend itself TO the business
sense of the country.
Smaller yards are practically useless.
They arc n cause of considerable eX-
pense, however, and Secretary Meyer
wishes TO get rid of that expense. Navy
yards established before the war, when
conditions wero so little like what they
are now, must either be extended and
brought up to date or abandoned. 1t
is impracticable to bring them all up
to date and make them all large, scrv-
iceablc navy yards, Consequently, the
only thing to do is to abolish those
that are useless. and confine the AT
tcntion of the Navy Department 10 the
best locations and to the building up
on those locations of navy yards that
Will be capable of doing every sort
of construction and repair work that
the Nation may require.
The forthcoming report of the Sccre-
tary will be read with the keenest in.
terest by every one interested in the
navy. In that report it is expected
that Secretary Meyer will designate
the places which he approves for ex-
tensivc navy yards, and will also des-
ignate those which he considers use
less and that should be abandoned. II
is a clear case that any navy yard
that cannot do the work required for
modern battleships is a useless en-
cumbrance, and wasteful expense to
the country.
In pursuing this view of it, the Sec
retary undoubtedly takes the patriotic
view, the business view, and the broad,
National view, The other view, the
one that would keep up multitude OF
small navy yards, is simply the cx-
preston of local concern which wants
a little of the government money with
out any regard as to whether the ex-
penditure is helpful to the navy or
not.
The keeping up Of these small and
useless navy yards is the same sort of
bad policy in the navy that has pre-
vailed in the army in distributing the
troops in small squads all over the
country, simply in order that certain
politicians can get for their localities
a portion of the government IS expendi-
iultSs uc ulSdSlIDUS result OIL InlS
breaking up Of the army into small
fragments was especially manifest on
the outbreak of the war with Spain.
1t was illustrated more fully last spring
when President Taft ordered the con.
centration Of division Of 10000
troops on the Mexican border. That
concentration, it was found, was so
difficult and so ineffective as TO con
vince all concerned that the army must
be kept together in brigades and divi.
sions. and not in small. detached frag-
ments as heretofore, and orders were
issued accordingly,
The same policy of concentration and
effective work is good for both army
and navy; and Secretary Meyer is DO.
ing good work in striking for a few
large and efficient navy yards. ana
the abandonment of those which are
unserviceablc and are merely kept up
by political "pull. -