The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-18
FIVE YEARS NEEDED ID PUT U. 5. NAVY AT HIGHEST EFFICIENCY
REAR ADMIRAL FISKE
Chief of Bureau of Opera tiOns Appears Before the House Naval Affairs
 Committee

Washington, December I7.-Five years would be required to put the united States navy in the highest state of efficiency to meet hostile fleet ac- eording to statement today by Rear Admiral Fiske before the House naval committee. The admiral, who is chief of the bureau of operations, member of the general board and q former president of the naval institute said the navy was deficient in aircraft, mines, scout cruisers, torepdo-boat de- stroyers, submarines and in number of trained officers and men, and had no mine sweepers.
 Members of the committee were par ticularly interested in Admiral Fiskes views as to the possibility of foreign aircraft dropping bombs on American cities. He expressed the opinion that an attacking fleet might begin send ing it's airships on bomb dropping flights over New York from q range of 300 or 600 miles off the coast.
 One foreign navy, which was not named, the admiral said, was more ef- fcient than the American fleet in gun nerY. This. he declared however. was so only because the American marks- men had not been given adequate op- portunity for practice In speaking of the highest state of efficiency the officer explained that he had in mind the state of q certain unnamed power whose officers and men have inbred the spirit of a military nation.
 T doubt if in five years time We could get the navy up to a state of the highes tefficiency,' he said. That is to the efficiency that one of the navies of Europe now has. have hoard some officers say it was doubtful If it were possible to bring it up to that efficiency"
 Refers to German Raid
 The German raid on the British coast was referred to several times and the admiral suggested that if the British had had five or six fast submarines in the vicinity of the attacked ports the possibility of the bombardment would have been reduced. He said that If the German cruisers passed through English mines the explanation might be that by the wonderful system of spies Germany has it may have found out just where those mines were To- cated." He added. though. that pos sibly the German cruisers carried mine sweepers.
 The officer said no enemy could at tack the Panama canal so long ds the American navy controlled the sea. With the fleet defeated, however, he thought there would be no security for this, the most vulnerable part of our possessions"
 Couldn't mines there as well as anywhere else protect the mouth of the Panaman canal?' he was asked. Yes"
 Could you prevent hostile fleet from coming into the canal with the defenses there now?'
 "I should say not
 The Qualifications alone. he ex- plained, would not be sufficient be cause a hostile fleet could land men a l few miles away"
 Under further questioning the ad- mira1 said the European war would bring changes that no one could prophecy and that among the possi- bilities was an agreement between some of the foreign nations ito let one another alone" on certain conditions, which might involve the integrity of 1 the canal zone.
 Representative Gardner of Ma ssa- | chusetts will be the final witness in 1 the hearings tomorrow.