Evening star., 1914-04-17
DANIELS DEFENDS NAVY;
FOR POPULAR SUPPORT
Glasses Admiral Badgers Statement
Among Those of Famous
Naval Heroes.

NEW YORK. April live do not
know what We will be called upon to do.
but are ready. This, the only state
ment Rear Admiral Charles J. Badger.
commander-in-chief of the Atlantic fleet,
had to make as his ships steamed ont OF
Hampton roads for Mexico was made
public here last night by Secretary Dan
iels to be added to the splendid words
spoken by American naval heroes.
Mr.. Daniels told members of the Navy
League of the United States at their an
nual banquet that the brevity and com
prehenSiveness of that statement deserved
to rank with those of Dewey at Manila
and John Paul Jones in the battle of the
Bonhomme Richard and the Scraps.
An appeal for popular support of the
! navy was voiced by the Secretary.
Nothing Wrong With Navy.
There is nothing the matter with our
| navy" he said. There is nothing the
matter with our discipline; there is moth
| ing the matter with our splendid person
| mel: there is a great deal the matter with
| the public viewpoint; there is a great deal
| the matter with the lack of information
on the part of great portion of our citi-
zens as to the navy.
1T is my firm belief that no definite
program of naval construction-by that /
mean a program that will not be in Jeop-
ardy every time Congress assem- bleS-can
be laid down until an overwhelming
number of our people become friends of
the navy and give somewhat more than
passive support to the navy's proper
development.
Mr. Daniels said his pride and ad-
mration of American naval officers and
men was stirred and strengthened BY
John Lind. President Wilson's personal
representative in Mexico, upon his re-
turn to the United States recently. The
Secretary remarked that Mr.. Lind called
to tell him that the officers and men of
the navy We're the finest body of men
he had ever known, and that Rear Ad-
miral Fletcher was a wise man, of
sound Judgment, and better than that.
he is a patriot, loyal to the core of his
country.
The navy now has its full quota and
for the first time it has d waiting list,
the Secretary said.
End of the Wine Mess.
Speaking of his recent order abolishing
the wine mess. the Secretary said:
With a singular lack of logic, critics
who see fit to represent me as a foe
to discipline on the one hand, twist this
into case of discipline run mad on the
OtneE dE greater queSlOHS Ildn lndt
of discipline lie back of this He said
there was no body of more temperate.
clear-headed men in the world than
American naval officers. He asked his
hearers whether they would not demand
the abolishing of a wine mess in railroad
engineers clubhouses, if the railroads
should permit such a thing.
The wreck of a great battleShip,' said
the Secretary, the loss of a critical
battle and the honor of the country may
easily hinge upon one of many men in
the varied and complex duties which
these great masses of intricate machin-
cry, called battleships, have created
Emperor Williams Advice.
He called attention to Emperor Will
liams advice to the naval cadets at Muir
wick:
THAT nation which consumes the least
quantity of alcohol wins. And that you
should be, my gentlemen, and through
YOU an example should be given the
crews.
Very substantial and practical econo-