The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-15
Tina. would .nsuro peace for ali time
Reorsnni.ins the Navy.

TO come. s3a4
Rcorsnnising the Navy.
Can You tell mo something OF the
changes you have made as to the reor-
ganisa,ion OF the navy since you BIO.
came secretary7"
we have practically reorganixed tho
service. and that along modern bust
ness lines. When took hold of tha
department I found It made up of blu.
reaus which were acting Independently
OF one another. Every bureau was its
own master. and each did as seemed
best to It's chief The same system
was in operation that had been used
since 1912. end that notwithstanding
the enormous growth OF the depart
ment 1t seemed to me that tho ofga-
nigauon was bad; and after careful
study of the other great navies of the
world 1 ecclesiastical It. We grouped
the bushes under four natural divis-
ions and appointed an expert aa the
head of each division to act as the
eyes and ears OF the secretary and to
form staff OF expert and response
BILE advisers. That is what we have
to-day. We have a division Of In
spec.ion. OF materials. of personnel and
OF operation. Admiral wainwright IL
at the head of the latter. He has
charge of the feet at sea, and of hav-
Ing 1t always ready for war. In con-
nection with the War College and the
general board he gives his entire at
tntion to morments of the vessels, and
with them makes studies and plans
of possible wars and OF how the navy
should act In case of attack.
We have Investigated tho business
of the navy, continued Secretary
Meyer. I'VE have had expert account
ants introducing new systems OF book
keeping and trial balances We have
consolidated the stores, and By this
means alone have turned back S2,-
100000 into the Treasury. / think we
have made o great gain in economy
and in operative efficiency. We have
increased the number OF ships, have
Increased the power of the motive
machinery. and have Increased the
cruising speed OF the heet without ad.
ditional consumption OF coal"
How about the navy yards? L UNI
derstand there Is great opposition to
your proposed reduction of them?"
THAT is only natural" replied tho
Secretary of the Navy. zach State
and city which has a navy yard would
like to keep 1t. and the senators and
representatives. are forced to urge its
retention on the ground of local pat
ronage and local pride. Nevertheless.
there lie an enormous waste, 4, k@r-jns
posed that eight OF them be aeoliahsAa
1Hat MUu.o 49,, < tueu4s.4 nst.. a., s.aig
in annual maintenance alone of moro
than a million and a half dollars. we
do net need moro than three navy
yards on the Atlantic coast, and wa
should have two on the Pacific. The
others should be sold or. otherwise dis
posed OF. Many OF them could be-
turned to commercial uses. AS for tho
docks, the government might retain
many of them You see 1t used to be
that our war vessels spent more time
in the yards than now. The present
policy is to keep the fleet on the seas
and to allow the ships in the yards
only when they need serious REPAIRS
How about Panama? Should wa
have yard there2"
II think not. There will probably
be dry docks and craving docks III
connection with the canal. but they
will be also for commercial purposes.h
Should the canal be fortined?"
Most certainly It should. What Is
the use of spending s3OO.oo0.oO0 for d
waterway like that II we cannot. pro-
tect It, The feet must DO kept IN.
tact for meeting and destroying the
enemy's fleet"
Copyright 1911. By Frank G. ,carpen-
teri =