The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-07
(E4EART TAILS WITH SECRETARY OF THE NAVY DANIELS

Have YOU enough money to run the
navy?'
we have plenty for the various de-
partmcnts. We have not as much as
we would like for building new ships
ana we could use more in the navy
yards That novy-yard problem is a
vital one. and 1 hope we can make
a better solution of it than we have
now.
DO we pay more for our battle
ships than other nations?"
Il hardly think SO. but we nav mora
IMAM we ought to pay. and | hope we
can cut down the prices. Take tho
matter OF guns. We used to nav I'm
mense sums for such armament INT
since We have established our own
gun factory here at Washington. we
have saved on that account alone MANY
millions OF dollars
we are now making our own DOW
der and are saving millions on that
l don't mean that we save alone on
the making the powder. but the out
siders OF whom we buy have to fix their
prices at somewhere near our cost Of
manufacture. | think we could do the
same with armor plate. and shall ask
congress 10 give me enough money to
put up an armor plate factory and thus
bring down outside competition. AS it
is now We arc held up by the steel
trust. Its managers know that we
cannot make OUR own armor plate and
they have us at their mercy. When
the different competitors find that I
am going to give contract to the
lowest bidder they all bid exactly the
same thing down TO cent. The com
pctitors work IN collision and We are
helpless. AS IT is we need some cranes
and other machinery to equip our navy
yards for building such things and We
Will save there as much We are
saving on powder and guns"
II am much interested in your plan
of turning our battleships into schools
for the men, said /. rs 1t practical"
Perfectly so. / see no reason why
every sailor and every marine should
not receive a good education aboard
ship. ] hope to make IL so that every
man who cnlists in the navy will have
n chance TO learn n trade or profession.
There is no reason why lie should not
be an electrician, an engineer. or have
almost any other practical trade. While
| wasat Newport the other day looked
over the records of the training station
there. 1 found that only nine OF the
students had been 10 college before
they were admitted. aad that ninety
had gone 10 the high sStnools. while
1876 had had little education TO speaE
of Now we have on every vessel a
corps OF young officers who are grad
yates OF the Nava! Academy. and we
can establish school on every ship
and have these officers do the teaching.
The men viii be taught reading, writ
ing and arithmetic, as well as grammar
and the other fundamentals. and those
who Wish il can go higher and learn Z
trade"
will that be good thing FOR tho
service 80
I'm almos, every way, yes" was tho
reply 1T will be good for the men
and good for the officers Within two
years after man has left Annapolis
he begins TO forget what he has
learned there. This VIII make him
continue his studies. and ne will have
the advantage. as IL were, OF post
graduate course.
Besides" continued Secretary DAN
iels II think our officers need more
training after they have left the acad-
envy. ! want more OF them TO go to
the Naval College TO learn strategy and
TO plan out the possible warfare Of the
future. When visited that institution
the other day found that there were
about as many men in the faculty as
there were in the school. II is my idea
that every officer should spend some
time at that college. and that he should
not be allowed to command ship un-
less he has gone through course
there"
What do they do at the Naval Col
icEcY l asked
They study hte principles and plans
OF naval warfare. They make supposi-
titious campaigns and plan what would
be the course OF the navy in case the
battle ships were located at certain
points and it was necessary TO move
at once upon another nation with whom
we might have war. They do for the
navy the same as the War College at
| Washington does for the army. All OF
the great nations have such colleges
and make such plans"
| Copyright. 1913. by Frank G.. Carpen-
ter)