Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-14
bICGERNAW NEEDED
!.
Construction of Two Battle
ships a Year Advocated.
FOR PEACE AND COMMERCE
Assistant Secretary Winthrop's Ad-
dress at Navy League Dinner.
HIGHER OFFICIAL RANK URGED
Col. Robert NJ. Thompson and
Others Speak in Praise of
Secretary Meyer.
FOR PEACE AND COMMERCE
HIGHER OFFICIAL RANK URGED

Construction OF two battleships year
and the creation of the ranks Of vice ad-
miral, admiral and admiral Of the fleet
are necessary to maintain the force and
dignity Of the navy for the preservation
of peace and the increase of national
commerce, In the opinion of Beekman
Winthrop. assistant secretary Of the
navy, expressed in q speech at dinner
given by the Navy League last night at
the New Willard Hotel, at which he
and the representatives Of the press were
guests Of honor.
Secretary of the Navy Meyer was laud-
ed as the man who has brought the
efficiency Of the feet up to 100 per cent
the Navy League. and by Rear Admiral
Richard Wainwright. u. s. N. retired.
Edgar c. Snyder. responding for the
press commented on the fact that Ameri-
can battieships are slower than those OF
European nations, and was told by Col.
Thompson that this was made necessary
by the fact that they were constructed
with q view to long voyages, and that
armament and armor.
Motion pictures showing operations of
the naval vessels and incidents of sea
life; songs deep sea chant and vocal
solos and choruses: fake kilograms ad-
dressed to members Of the press requir-
ing humorous reports Of the meeting for
their papers. provided other entertain
ment.
Response by Guests Standing.
"Sweethearts and Wives" was the first
toast proposed by the toastmaster. Col.
thompson. This and the toast to 1.-The
President" were responded to by the
-1ests standing.
Col. Thompson then proceeded to tell
al within hearing why they were there.
lie explained that the Navy League de-
sired to bring together two sets of good
the newspaper men, in the hope that
good feeling would ever prevail there
after. The Navy League. he said. re-
alized that 1t must depend upon the
press to bring before the millions of
people OF the nation the needs of the
navy. and explain II so that the people
would be convinced that it was the riont
thing
factor for the good Of the nation: and
the foremost factor for the preservation
of peace. AS long as the navy Is main
tanned at a proper footing, he declared.
no horrors Of war need come to our
shores. =
The Navy League. he added. wished to
bear witness to the great accomplish
ments of the Navy Department during the
present administration. and to the work
done by Secretary Meyer.
HE has established the primal fact
that the navy and the fleet are synony-
NOUS" Col Thompson said, and the
Navy Department and the navy yards
and other auxiliaries are subordinate to
this one idea He has grasped this truth;
has realized that he does not know 1t all.
and has been wise enough to obtain
counsel OF, older ofiicers. whose exper.-
snee and d., service y guarantee that they
Praise for Secretary Meyer.
Secretary Meyer has done more TO
put the navy Of the United States on a
lighting basis than has been done siuce
the civil war"
The navy has done more for the ma
ton than the nation has done for the
navy, asserted Col Thompson. The
complaint ID. some critics. that the cost
Of the navy IL excessive. is not justi-
fed, he contended. and the account
books win show q credit and not
debit to the navy's account.
So long az this country builds a navy
which will hold the sea. SO long the hor-
rors Of war will not touch the country.
he said For this insurance. in his opin-
ion the price was little to pay.
His only criticism of Secretary Meyer
was that he had bowed to what he con-
sidered the inevitable, and had only asked
Congress to provide half the battleshfps
that the navy needs.
Mr.. winthrop Discusses the Fleet.
The Navy Department and Beekman
winthrop was the toast proposed by the
postmaster Assistant Secretary Win
throp responded.
The reason for the existence OF the
Navy Department he said. was the eff
cheney of the fleet. To this consideration
all other views must yield. Second in i'm
portance was economy in administration.
m so far as It Is not injurious to the eff
cheney of the fleet. The Navy Depart
ment, he said, was trying to improve the
efficiency Of the fleet and to introduce
economic methods.
The aid system. said Mr. Winthrop,
was the greatest movement toward econ
omy Needless expenditures and waste
has been cut of through the advice of
aids fresh from duty at sea or at the
navy yards. BY their assistance the
fleet has been brought up to 100 per
cent efficiency.
The most important reason for better
administrative methods. Mr.. Winthrop
held. was to make preparation in time OF
peace for efficiency in time of war.
He compared conditions before the
Spanish-Amer war-when the organi-
zation of the navy was found inadequate