New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-12
MIR. Daniels's Awkward Efforts to
Play Fast and Loose with the
Navy's General Board.

In preparing his annual report and IN giving
his testimony before the House Committee On
Naval Affairs Secretary Daniels has exhibited all
tho nervousness of a man who finds himself be-
,,,oor two fires. He has had to meet the argu-
ments of the Little Navy" advocates elated al
the unexpected moral support extended 10 theih
IN the Presidents message. What sweeter NOR
sol 70 roll under the tongue could Mr.. Wilson
have presented to the Little Navy" group tnan
his skeptical query: "Who shall tell US now
what sort of navy to build?" If it is the acme
Of wisdom to wait until the relative efficiency OF
naval craft of various kinds is established beyond
all peradventure before we decide what new
craft to build the Little Navyites" have the long
end Of the argument. They can quote the Presi-
dont,s ieerinp words against the naval pro-
gramme which his own Secretary of the Navy is
fathering.
In order to Justify himself in presuming 10
tcu Congress how many new ships of various
classes it should authorize at this session. Mr.
Daniels has to fall back on the General Board
Of the Navy. In so far as he needs their support
in recommending further batteship construction
be expresses the highest regard for the experts
Of that board. lie even calls them naval states
men" and says their opinion that the oack-
bone Of any navy that can command the sea con-
sists of the strongest seagoing sea-keeping ships
Of its day. or of its battleships' is entitled to
..preat weight" Thus Mr.. Wilson's agnosticlsm
is refuted The authority of the General Board
Is used as a weapon to demolish his scofing
criticism
Yet when Mr.. Daniels is asked why ne himself
does not accept in full the judgment OF the
.naval statesmen" whose report he attaches as
mn appendix to his own report, he has no salts
factory answer On the witness stand he rebuked
the General Board for its frank statement that
there has recently been mo definite naval pol
icyo on the part Of the government In pre-
ferring his own programme of construction to
that urged by the board he sets himself up as
bigger naval statesman" than Admiral Dewey
or any other Of the boards members.
Mr.. Danielss predicament is pitiful. He needs
the boards countenance to make out case for
his own recommendations, but he cannot afford
to agree with it in the main because it tells lot
Of unpalatable truths about deficiencies in our
naval development. The board shows that sound
naval policy requires that we should have by
1919 at least forty-eight batteships. The build
~ bod
when the Democratic party came into control of
the House of Representatives, and as result
there is now deficiency Of ten battleships. The
board wants to have four new dreadnoughts au-
thorised this year and four next year. But Mr..
Daniels says that two are enough this year, al
though the Kearsarge and the Kentucky are now
due for transfer into the practically obsolete
class
The secretary is playing fast and loose with
the General Board. But look at his embarrass-
ments He is trying to tell Congress and the
country that the navy is adequate and in the pink
of condition, while the board in its report shows
that there are deficiencies in nearly every
branch of the service. II says that we are short
on battleships destroyers, feet submarines, coast
submarines, scout cruisers, gunboats, aircraft,
transports, fuel ships and tenders.
If we are to have a navy it should be rounded
out and adequate. 1t should be equal to or su-
perior to that Of any nation likely to attack us.
That is the boards policy. II is not Mr. Daniels's
policy or the Presidents. And the root Of all
administration hostility TO a thoroughgoing in
vestigation Of our deficiencies is the fear that
the public will discover our military shortcom-
ings, place the blame for them where it belongs
and then compel Congress to remedy them.