Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-11
Tells House Committee They
Are LESS Perfect Than Any,
thing | Ever Saw"
BUILDERS YEARS BEHIND,
SECRETARY OF NAVY SAYS
Urges Two Battleships a Year as
Policy Government Should
Adhere To.

! interest centering around the appear
ance of Secretary Daniels Of the Navy
| Department. who testified before the
| House naval affairs committee yester-
day afternoon. as well as in the morn
| ing. Representative Dies of Texas
made a long speech in answer to Rep
resentative Gardner of Massachusetts,
and Representative Prouty of Iowa
ventured the opinion that a hostile in
vasion could be repealed with a picked
squad of Arkansas squirrel hunters.
While big navy men took some of
| Secretary Daniels remarks to mean
that he really favored program of
Tour battleships 4 year and that he be-
lieved there is a possibility of the
United States being involved in war,
Secretary Daniels feelings were stirred
! to their greatest depths yesterday
when he was talking about the trou-
bies the department has with subma-
| rines. His answers to questions re-
garding four battleships, two battle
ships and other moot questions seemed
perfunctory compared to the heartfelt
answers he made to the submarine
question.
! Secretary Daniels put damper on
| the popular idea that the submarine is
the coming solution of war problems by
saying that they are less perfect than
anything j ever saw He said the de-
partment had never been able siQce
| 1908 to get submarine boat builders to
produce boats on time or up to specifi-
| cations in every respect, and that the
| department, in despair, had at last de-
termined to build an experimental sub
! marine at the Portsmouth navy yard.
| He also said that while he believed in
more submarines. it did not seem pos
| sible to get deliveries on time, and that
! the navy would always be behind on
| the submarine program unless solu-
! ton of the problem is found. He also
expressed great hope that a new bat
| terry produced by Thomas A. Edison
| would solve some of the electrical trou-
BILE experienced by submarine navi-
gators in running under water.
Would Build More at Navy Yards.
In answer to a query from Representa-
| tive Hobson of Alabama. Secretary Dan
iels said he would approve Of building
more submarines at the navy yards.
Between the batteries and the en-
gines the submarines have not made
much progress continued the Secretary,
land the two builders are years behind.
! understand we are using the same bat
terry France, Germany and England are
| using. I have often thought Of getting
a submarine built in France, SO we could
get an idea of what their machinery is
and we can't get the machinery unless We
buy the boat
| Chairman Padgett read a letter from
President Lake of the Lake submarine
concern, claiming that the submarine as
| a boat functions perfectly.
! ut functions less perfectly than any
| thing L ever saw" was Secretary Dam
| iels' answer.
| THE German U-9 functioned well,
didn't it?' aueried Representative Rob-
erts of Massachusetts,.
Representative Hobson asked if the
result of the war would not be ire
mendouS impulsion of naval building.
II expect the revulsion against war will
be so great replied the Secretary that
there may be an international confer
ence looking to an agreement to tighten
ornaments.
1.-TWO Battleships a Year
In answer to what policy of naval pro-
gram the government ought to adhere.
Secretary Daniels replied without hesita-
ton:
Two battleShipS a year.
Several members quizzed him as TO the
disagreement between the Secretary and
the general navy board. which has recon-
eral years past Secretary Daniels said
he had confidence in the board, and in -
Spouse TO the question of Representative
Browning of New Jersey to building
four pattleships this year. he said:
IF we had sufficient revenue L might
make such recommendation
Have we a powerful navy now:'' asked
Representative Roberts.
Il think we have was the reply. and
if we build two ships a year We will have
enough
Representative Roberts of AIassa-
chuSetts asked:
Isn't it true that the failure to follow
the recommendation of the general boa I'd
of four batteships year has placed us
in a position of naval inferiority?''
NO. replied Secretary Daniels, I'VE
are not inferior in ships men nor in
any way except of course. in numbers"