The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-04
EXPLAIN THE NAWS LACK OF TORPEDOES Daniels Issues Statement on
 Situation
  A FALSE IMPRESSION No Ships in Commission Can Carry Long Range Torpedo Yet,
 Claims Secretary of
 the Navy
A FALSE IMPRESSION

Washington, December 3-What off cials regard as popular exaggeration of admitted defects in the American navy s torpedo equipment was the subject of a statement issued tonight by Secretary Daniels embodying a special report from Rear Admiral Strauss, chief of the bu- resu of ordnance. Specifically the state ment was prepared to prove misleading a declaration that "of long range torpedo and there are only 5s in the navy quoted from a speech by Representative Gardner of Massachusetts, who Is urg- ing the administration to support his resolution for an investigation of the na- tion's military preparedness.
 While the recent discussion of the sub tect has dealt only with the equipment of batteships and cruisers, Admiral Strauss took occasion to point out that long range torepdoes are neither required TOT desired for submarines. He recalled that the British armored cruisers Abou- kir, Greasy and Hogue were torpeoed and destroyed by a German submarine at a range of 500 yards.
 This statement standing by itself is calculated to leave a false impression, '" said MT. Daniels, fin view of repeated statements that the navy has only 5s long range torepdoes, the chief of the bureau of ordnance has been asked to furnish statement concerning the tor pedo situation and has compiled as fol- lows:
 No Ship to Take Them
 The 58 long range torepdoes often refarrad only the possesses are of the 21-inch 21-foot type and there is ship in the United States navy yet in commission that is prepared to take them. They were manufactured for new construction, beginning with the Nevada and the Oklahoma and these two ships will not go into commission until about the end of next year.
 '' This long range Is obtained by an increase in length over existing types and no ship prior to the Nevada and Oklahoma is constructed for torpedoes of this length. So far as the bureau of ordnance can ascertain, these torpedoes have as high range, or higher, than any torepdoes manufactured abroad
 "'Beginning with the Virginia class. hich went into commission principally in 1906, and up to and including the Texas, which went into commission this year. all the battleships are provided with 21-inch 17-foot tubes. Within the last two years it was found possible to sU improve the 2-inch, 17-foot torpedo as to practically double it's range and steps were taken at once to construct new torpedoes having the increased range. We already have a sufficient num- Ter of these longer range terepdoes to outfit the eight most recent dread raughts in commission and that is the equipment that they will have on board
 Now Making .TOrpedOes
 '' In addition tQ the above there are be- ing manufactured at the government works at Newport and the Bliss works at Brooklyn sufficient number to pro vide all of the battleships of the United States navy beginning with the Virginia class with the long range torpedo. The Ohio class, first commissioned about 1901 are fitted with 1S-inch tubes and torpe does of the highest range cannot be sub. stituted for the equipnfent now furnished them without serious alterations.
 All of the armored cruisers except foui and all of the older destroyers are pro vided with 19-inchr tubes. All of the crui sers and all of the destroyers subsequent to destroyer No 2S are provided witt torpedoes that were up to date in range and speed one year ago. Since then 2 scheme has been developed for increas ing the range of the 1S-inch torpedo ana there now are in process Of construction 1S-inch torpedoes of the newer type whicf will outfit all destroyers from No. 2S witt the long range weapon.
 Long range torpedoes neither are re uuired or desired for submarines. Sub marine warfare Is of such character as to make it advisable to use shor range, high-speed torpedoes and that Il the class that submarines are being fur nished with The Aboukir, Cressy ant Hogue were torpedoed recently, 1t VII he recalled, at a range of 800 yards