The Washington herald., 1914-12-12
DANIELS FRANK
in ADMISSIONS
Tells Committee Wilson Sent
Ships to Mexico to
Meet Crisis.
UNPREPARED AT SEA
Panama Canal VIII Enable U. S. to
UNPREPARED AT SEA
Panama Canal viii Enable U. S. to
Meet Contingencies on Either Coast
o. Within Short Time.

A statement that urgent military neces-
sity impelled President Wilson to send
eighteen battIeships to Mexican waters
in addition to the land forces that oc-
cupied Vera Cruz was one feature of
the testimony before the House Com
mittee on Naval Affairs yesterday of
Josephus Daniels. Secretary of the Navy.
Secretary Daniels discussed the Mexican
situation with great frankness, declar-
ing the President himself directed that
strong naval as well as land force be
sent to Mexico when the crisis arose in
that country last April.
The Secretary was prompted to make
these statements by questions put to him
| by Representative Roberts, Of Massa-
chusetts, a Republican member Of the
Naval Committee Mr. Daniels was eau
tious in phrasing his replies, and eX-
pressed a hope that some of his testi-
mony would not get him into print.
Reduced Ships at Vera Cruz.
What was the military necessity Of
keeping eighteen battleships at Vera
Cruz when the place was held by land
forces?' asked Representative Roberts.
I'VE did not do so long" replied Sec
retary Daniels. we reduced the ships
gradually from eighteen to four"
Were not eleven ships there when
Rear Admiral Fletcher took command
in September. as he has testified?'
Il think that is right" replied the
Secretary OF the Navy. But you might
ask what was the necessity of keeping
so many soldiers there. We sent battle
ships. soldiers and marines, to carry out
the policy OF the chief,
and the question OF what should be
sent there was for him to determine.
There were about five or six emer-
gencies that could have arisen in Mex
leo. The wise policy was to have all
of the fleet in Mexican waters in case
there was need for il. Under certain
circumstances it might have become
necessary to blockade all of the Mexi-
can ports. If the army had gone into
Mexico we would have sent one-half of
the men from the ships with the army"
Secretary Daniels testimony took a
wide range. He admitted the United
States is in a state Of unpreparedness on
the sea if war broke out in the Pacific.
but asked to be excused from suggesting
probable or possible foes in that quarter.
He insisted that with the completion of
the Panama Canal, and the facility with
which the feet could be transferred from
one coast to another through that water.
the naval efficiency of the United States
was Just about doubled.
''One of the reasons we built the Pana-
ma Canal was to enable US to transfer
the main battleship feet from one ocean
to the other" said Mr.. Daniels, in reply
TO question by Representative
Stephens. I'VE can now keep the fleet
first on one ocean and then on the otheri
but, of course, we will keep the enere
fleet where we believe il is most need
ed. The best opinion OF naval experts
is that the fleet should remain undivided,
and that the Panama Canal will enable
the combined feet to protect both the At
lantic and the Pacific coasts. As a mat
ter of fact there is hardly a possibility
of being attacked on both coasts at the
same time. An enemy would be delayed
a great deal II approaching the Pacific
Coast by our present Pacific Fleet and
the submarines and other defenses at
Manila and Honolulu. II would undoubt-
edly be delayed until our main fleet
could get to the scene of operations. 1t
would require about eighteen days for
the fleet to go from New York to San
Francisco or Los Angeles"
Purposes Pacific increases.
Secretary Daniels took occasion to say
that it was the purpose Of the govern
ment to increase its defenses in the
Pacific, but he asked TO be excused from
going into details. He expressed the
opinion that there should be one great
navy yard on the Pacific. He said the
government was trying to develop such
an institution at Mare Island, but that
that point the task was attended with