The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1914-12-17
OUR NEARNESS
..al TO WAR TOLD
[auntS Cause RObSOn to Re-
veal Government Secrets
SENSATION At NhvsL HEARING

Secretary Daniels Challenged by Co
gresham to Deny That Courtr,
Was on Verge Of War In Pacific In
1913, But No Answer Is Given-Hob
son Tells of Activities on Corregi,
dor Island at That Time.
Washington, Dec. ia statement
made before the house committee on
naval affairs by Representative Hob
son of Alabama that the United States
got itself in readiness for a possible
war in the Pacific in May, 1913, was
permitted to go unchallenged by Sec.
rotary of the Navy Daniels, although
Mr.. Hobson called on Mr.. Daniels to
deny the truth of the assertion.
Hobson was compelled to make this
declaration by the testimony of Cap.
tain A. G. Winterhalter. a member Of
the navy general board. who intimated
that Mr.. HobsOn and many other per.
sons in the United States are con.
stantly seeing visions of war.
Il am not seeing things" said Hob
son. Il know that in May, 1918. and
for some weeks longer our gunners at
Corregidor islands stood at their guns
night and day with provisions for a
two years siege. The harbor was
mined and troops from all over the
islands were brought into Corregidor
Everything was prepared for a two
years siege except the transfer of the
government from Manila. II did MOI
take any vision to see that"
Secretary Daniels and Captain Win,
terhalter looked grave as Mr.. Hobson
proceeded. The former made no di,
rect reply to the assertion of Mr.. Hob,
son about the alleged preparations for
war on COrregidor island, whereupOn
Mr.. Hobson exclaimed:
'Well, the secretary of the navy is
here. l will ask him if what | have
stated is not true. Let him deny it."
Secretary Daniels, his face pale and
lips drawn, looked Mr. Hobson in the
eye and made no reply Turning
angrily toward Captain WHITEWATER
Mr.. Hobson remarked:
81 don't want people to say any
more that l am seeing things"
1t was recalled in the committee
room that it was just about that time
ghen diplomatic negotiations were
ending with Japan relative TO the
alien land law question in California.
The relations between the two cOun.
tries were strained. much more
strained, in fact, than was generally
supposed at the time. 1t has been
said in well informed quarters that it
was due largely to the good offices of
Great Britain that the situation was
smoothed over.
1t was just about this time also that
the president recommended the repeal
of the free toll clause of the Panama
canal act, saying that unless congress
yielded to him on this question he
would not know how to deal with other
questions of a more delicate char
acter''
1t was said that administration Of
ficials are bitter over the develop
ments before the committee on naval
affairs in the past few days and that
as a result of the Hobson incident in
which there was a frank discussion
of a question that the government
would rather have ignored, an effort
may be made to prevent further dis
cussion of naval subjects before the
house.
In the course of his testimony Cap
tain WHITEWATER, who is an expert
on ship construction, gave it as his
opinion that the British battleship Au-
dacious was blown up by mine.
Replying 20 a question Captain Win
terhalter said he had never heard Of
modern battleship being blown up by
a submarine.
Mr.. WitheTspoon directed attention
to the exploit of the British Bill sub,
marine in destroying the Turkish bat
tleship Massudeh in the Dardanelles.
The witness insisted that this engage
ment was not conclusive in proving
the submarine would prove effective
against modern battleships. He point
ed out that the Turkish ship was built
in 1874, that its armament lacked the
power of resistance now employed in
battleship building and further that
this battleship was not constructed in
compartments like the battleships of
today.
1t was brought out in the course OF
Captain Winterhalter's testimony that
Within the past few years the United
States had dropped from second to
fourth place among naval powers by
reason of the large building of the
Germans and French, Germany now
handing second and France third.
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