The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-26
WILL PUSH HIS INQUIRY
into DEFENsEs OF j. S.
Gardner Declares Neither Army nor
Navy Is Adequately
Organized.
ON PRESENT STATUS
Thinks Government Needs 100000
Available Men in Army and Forty.
Seven Ships, With Fleet OF Air
Craft.


WASHINGTON, October 25.-The
question of national armament. ma
tional defense and fully enlisted army
and navy Will be kept alive by Repre-
sentative Gardner, of massachusetts.
who recently introduced n resolution
to investigate the actual condition OF
the nations forces. In statement
issued by him last night. Mr.. Gardner
said he would push his request for a
two day hearing on the resolution and,
pending the assembling OF Congress
in December, fortiry himself with moro
facts
81 guarantee no facts and no figures
In this statement as to our army and
navy" he said. Nothing but an in
vestisation by an Independent commits
sion VIII bring out the truth. For the
most part, my navy facts ana figures
are taken from the official documents
and from conversations with naval or
ficers The estimates as to the number
of ships necessary for our safety. cN-
cept rs to submarines, are taken from
the reports of the general board of rho
navy. The board has mhdc no final es-
Inmates on submarines.
Tho army facts and figures arc ga tn.
cred from the official publications OF
the War Department, from congress
stonal hearings. from the reports OF the
chief of stnff OF the army and from
private conversations with officers
we ought to have fortv-seven fight
Ing battleships. built and building. In
stead. we have twenty eight real bat
tleshiDs. built and building: four scrap
iron relics and. eight venerable sur
vivors only n grade better.
I'VE ought to navo ISIS destroyers,
built and building. Instead. we have
sixty -nirhf. tyf oll
and too small to amount to much, il
anything.
I'VE ought to have thirty-ninc fast
scout cruisers. built and building. In
stead. we have ms many as three.
"Wc ought to have as MANY sub
marines as any nation on earth to pro
tect our limitless coast lines. yet in
submarine strength our navy stands
fourth among the worlds navies
MOST OF OUR ToRPEDoEs
OF PRODLENIATICAL VALUE
we ought to have on an average
about five torpedoes to each torpedo
tube In our entire fleet. We shall
Der when those being constructed n.
present are finished. Most of our tor
pedoes arc OF problematical va,ue in
time of war, however, az three-qUar-
tiers of them arc OF the old. short range
kind The scrap heap Is the place for
q lot of them.
We ought to have a large feet of
airships OF Zeppelin and other types.
instead, we have not a single one.
We ought to have largo fleet
OF aeroplanes. Our aeroplanes are
scarcely numerous enough to reckon
We have about $1,000 men in the
navy. To man only that part OF our
modest fleet which would be useful in
time Of war would take $4,000 men.
So Assistant Secretary or the Navy
Roosevelt tells us. and he adds that
lie has not taken into account tho
men necessary to man the ships now
building. Yet YOU cannot improvise a
-of-war's man out OF totally un-
trained civilian in few months, and
there are only 5000 naval miiitiamcn
In the whole country.
1--WE ought to have coast defense
guns as powerful 8 the guns on the
modern Dreadnoughts OF other nations.
although this necessity Is disputed.
Instead. we have guns whose range is
less by mile than the naval guns
which may oppose them.
ave ought to have n mobile army
of at least 100000 militiamen, regulars
and reserves, ready to take the field nj
once after the outbreak of war, hut
we ought to have 100000 men within
a few weeks Instead we must de-
pend on $4,000 regulars. 10000 militia
men and no reserves
I'VE ought TO have plenty of NOV
able siege guns. Instead, we have not
one now available which exceeds six
inches In diameter.
1--WE ought to have motor tractors
with our artillery. Instead, we have
no motor tractors with that arm OF the
service.
I'VE ought to have 1896 field guns
for an army OF 100000 men. Instead,
we have only SIS.
I'VE ought to have plenty OF artil-
lery ammunition. Instead, we do not
know how much we have. but we are
told it is running low
I'VE ought to have an immediate
investigation OF our military situation
by an Independent commission. In
stead. we are going to he harassed eX-
ceedingly before the authorities in
Washington will consent TO any such
plan"