New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-23
PRAISES TAFT FOR NAVY
Assistant Secretary Winthrop
Tells of Advances in Efficiency.
FEARS DEMOCRATIC POLICY
Naval Architects Interpret
Clause in Canal Act Relating to
Imports for Ship Building.

The twentieth annual meeting OF the
Society OF Naval Architects and Marine
Engineers was held yesterday at the En-
cheering Building. No % West Ssth
street. At a session in the forenoon
officers were elected and later papers on
topics OF interest to the engineers were
read. A dinner at the Waldorf in the
evening completed the days proceedings.
AT the morning session resolution was
adopted by the society giving It's inter-
probation of the clause OF the Panama
I Canal act which relates TO the free i'm
portation OF foreign materials to be used
In shipbuilding. II is the opinion Of the
society that this clause does not, as has
been maintained by some, mean that
| structural and finished materials ready
to be assembled and finished machinery
! are to be allowed TO enter duty free The
resolution was incorporated into a letter
and sent TO President Taft. II was said
the society would be glad to appoint a
committee Of technical experts to con-
fer with the government officials on the
| Interpretation of the clause.
! At the dinner about three hundred mem
bers and friends OF the society were pres
ent. The speakers were Beekman Win
throp. Assistant Secretary Of the Navy,
who spoke on Our Navy; Congressman
| William c. Redield. who responded to
the toast, The Future of Our Merchant
| Marine; Henry W. HILL who addressed
the engineers on Commerce and Water
wayB"; James w. Osborne and Elwood
W. Rabinold. Colonel Robert II. Thomp-
son. the presldent-elect. was also Il
speaker. Stevenson Taylor, president OF
the society, presided.
Beeknan Winthrop compared the weak
condition OF the navy at the time the Re
publicans came into power sixteen years
ago and the strength at the present time,
laying particular stress upon the advances
made In the number and types Of war ves-
sci Of all classes during the present ad-
ministration.
THE navy Is to-day a progressive force
and must either improve or deteriorate,'
he said. 1T cannot stand still. What the
Democrats will do when they come into
power is a question. While in the minor
ity they showed a tendency TO retard It's
development, and We must look 20 tho
people for the solution OF the problem. 1
am sure the public wants an adequate
navy, and II IL manifests its desire the
| Democrats cannot refuse to heed the de-
| mand."
Congressman Redheld said he was an
| advocate of a greater merchant marine
and had been active In furtherlng its
| cause He dwelt upon the extreme cost
Of transferring American goods abroad
and urged a more complete control OF our
waterfront
In a paper submitted at the afternoon
session by William Il. Donnelly ard
George A. Crok Il was said that unless
some twelve 10 fifteen excursion boats
built thirty to thirty-five years ago were
superseded by up-to-date vessels a repet-
ton of the S.ocum disaster might be
looked for at any time. They asserted
that In every type of vessel except the
excursion boats there had been great
progress, but, as they put it, In these
boats the engine used within twenty-five
years after the construction OF the Ger
mont 1SVO has persisted practically with
out modification TO the present day"
The largest and most representative
boat of this class was built In 1873; the
engine in use was then taken from an
other boat, and is believed to be fifty or
sixty years old Messrs. Donneliy and
Crok said their model vessel would cost
more in construction than the cheap
boats now used, but this expenditure
would be Offset by the lower cost Of oper-
alton and by the fact that additional pas
senger space would be provided by tho
use Of screws, instead OF cumbersome
paddlewheels.