The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-08-01

ated such need; Snd commanding ofi-
GERS of sauadrods, in their reports to
the navy department, have dwelt upon
4 the advantages to be gained by such
provisions. htving felt their need when
/ cruising in hose and adjacent waters.
The interests of our government are
rapidly Increasing to the south of our
own territory, and events are crowding
lin that part of the world which bid
! fair to require the continual presence
1 of a Considerable naval force. 1t has
/ alrea(y proved inconvenient to repair
/ to tie north coast for docking facili-
ties and it might easily occur that
Their absence in southern waters would
prove a calamity.
| The harbor Of Pensacola Bay is the
te5t upon the Gulf Of Mexico Qndeed,
upon the entire southern coas) in
which to establish a dry dock of the
largest class. The entrance to the
harbor is now of SUFFICIENT depth, the
situation is favorable, and the ex-
panse of water Is fine and ample for
the assembly of a squadron or fleet.
The bureau recommends the craving
type Of dock. 1t is better suited to the
docking of vessels, safer and more con-
venient, and should always be adopt
| ed, except under local conditions rem
dering the location or founding i'm
practicable.
Replying specifically to the Inquiries
| in the resolution of the senate of the
i 18th ultimo, the bureau would state
| that 1t is desirable to construct grav-
! ing dock large enough for the largest
battleships Of the navy upon the Gulf
| of Mexico, and that the navy yard
upon the Bay Of Pensacola In the point
where 1t should be located. It's proba-
bic cost would be $1,3oo,0oo.'
while concurring in the view Of the
bureau Of yards and docks that the
construction Of such dry dock Is de-
sirable, I must say in addition, that
many other public works not yet un-
dertaken ought, in the larger interests
Of the navy, be given precedence"
Without quoting further from re-
ports of former secretaries, II Is safe to
say that the only objection ever urged
to Pensacola Bay prior TO the present
secretarys report Of 1910 has been that
the present site might be too much
exposed to attack by fleets at sea.
To this criticism, which, as has been
shown, has not generally been constd-
cred to be tenable, the present secre-
tary adds an objection that a navy
yard at Pensacola or elsewhere in the
Gulf of Mexico is stragetically I'M
necessary. This Is an objection that
has never been urged prior to his re-
novelty, and that is the only merit II
does have. It is well to consider this
objection first, because II it is well
founded 1t would make no difference
how well equipped or fortified or
otherwise adapted the site would be
for navy yard purposes
In his report of 1910, the secretary
states that we have too many navy
yards, and upon this statement bases
Ia
three be abandoned and sold. How
ever, he does not designate the three
yards which, in his opinion, should be
retained although it is quite clear
from his report that he considers the
one at Charleston to be unnecessary.
There are six first-class yards within
the 900 miles of the extreme North
Atlantic coast extending from Norfolk.
Va, to Portsmouth, N. H. But when
he comes to making selection from
among these six, the secretary fails to
give US the benefit of his views. He
complains in one part of his report
that some of the Atlantic coast navy
yards have not enough water for mod
ern vessels. He does not and can not
yard at Pensacola; and yet the first
end only yard which he definitely
recommends should be abandoned and
sold is the only one south of New
York, according to his own report,
which has ample water for approach
to docks and in whose harbor an en-
tire fleet could be accommodated. He
seems to recognize that in time of war
the port at Pensacola would be very
valuable, for, on page "a Of his report,
he says:
ct may be confidently predicted that
in time of war the cities of the Gulf
coast will be, from their natural Sc
curity, the chief sources of supplies
and material, and the probable points
from which our troops will embark
either for the Isthmus for further tram
sit or for service in the Caribbean, as
may be required"
The secretary has come to this con-
clusion, that the navy yard at PEN
sacola would not be necessary, quite
suddenly. In his report of 1909 he said
it would be unwise to abandon It I'M
til the Panama Canal should be COM
pleted. At the time of his report of
1909 he was doubtless impressed with
the fact that the canal is nearer to
Pensacola than to any other navy yard
on American soil Pensacola is 1900
miles from Panama as against 1900
miles from New York, approximately
1900 miles from Norfolk, which latter
Is the most southern yard contemplated
in the secretary's present scheme.
We would have six navy yards at
home to protect 900 miles of the North
Atlantic, and no navy yards at home
to protect 1900 miles of the South
Atlantic and the whole 1900 miles of
the Gulf coast. He may be right in
concluding that we have too many
navy yards and that three on the At
lantic and Gulf coast would be suff1-
cient, but If SO, 1t would seem that 1t
would be wiser to place these yards
at considerable distances apart in
stead of having them all congested
within a few hundred miles of one
part of the coast and leaving the
greater part of the coast without a
single navy yard.
When he advised against selling the
navy yard at Pensacola in his re-
port Of 1909, the secretary also proba-
bly, had in mind that with the canal
completed war ships could be sent
from Pensacola to either the Atlantic
or Pacific coast or either South
America or North America more quick
ly than from any yard on the Allan
tic. Indeed, it is quite apparent that
If it should ever become necessary to
have fleets on the west coast of South
America, the most accessible point for
all necessary equipment of ships either
now in existence or contemplated
would be this navy yard which he now