Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-12-12
FLEET
|SADM|TTEDLY
Of LITTLE USE
Secretary Daniels Expects
Panama Canal TO 0bviate.
" ANY, Danger TO Western
Coast 9of United States.


~ somusd seDssst SPECIAL lsssso 1tssl
Washington. Dee. lI.--While ad.
hitting Tint the Pacific coast now
was Without adequate protection In
case Of war. Secretary Daniels told
The hoiiff nasnl committee today that
lif nm emergency arose the Atlantic
fleet could he dispatched 10 the Pa.
lciflc Within eighteen days 20 deal
With any lmsfile sea craft that might
Huceet'd IN running The gauntlet 81
American snhuArincs from Manila
Hnh Honolulu. Moreover. the secre-
ltary annnhnced that the day u small
fleet In the Pacific would end next
Mnfch whom the Panama cnnal * to
be formally opened with an interim
iIonal nsvsii parade
I Preparedness Discussed.
Again today Tho nations military
ana naval ktuafion. WAS the center OF
snttenlipn ~ the capitol Mr.. Daniels
WAX before the house committee all
weiI lef Ma~aachusettn delivered a
Iprpared speech, deprccating too
lsnuch publicity In tho matter Of mill
tary strength, and pointing TO the
secret methods Of the European pow
ers now at war an an object lesson.
Led by 'quesfloninR. participated In
by nearly every member. Secretary
Daniels discussed the nayy's inabil-
Iiiy 10 set satisfactory airshlps, the.
prpbiem .ofllfhe submarine torpedo
bnnf which, has offered more Difficult
Ties than adl Other craft combined:
Ioppssed sxfralmRant appropriations
for either ths submarine or air craft.
and incidentally suggested that the
pubic need not be surprised at any
time frnIn now on 10 read of battle
royal between She fleets Of the onpos-
lpg naflepss of Europe. VA n.g
sluixzcd Regarding MeSIco 81
a refer,nfe iol Mexico followed
Questions by Representative Roberts
of Massachusetts about criticisms by
the general hnafd' OF the navy Of the
use Of bnttleships where gunboats
would suffice. Mr.. Daniels agreed
with this In general. but said there
were occasions ana emergencies when
battIeehips and not Runboats were
essential.
what was the military necessity"
Representative Roberts asked. re-
fcrrlng 10 the Vera Cruz occupation.
tof keeping eighteen battleships off
Vera Cruz and Tampico, when Vera
Cruz was held by the American army
and mnrinesg'
'1'here we're not eighteen NIL the
time" the secretary replied. "'rhe
number was gradually reduced from
eighteen TO -four. lf we had had 10
Blockade an The Mexican ports" he
explained, "all the battfeships would
have been needed. IL we had gone 90
Mexico. CITY We would have had TO
take Ihpif the navy with u.s.
rifsifie Fleet Weak.
Mr. Daniels explained 10 the COM
mltlee that there were no dread
nnughts on the Pacific coast and the
only bptticship there WINS the Ore
l.gof. which whs about to De trans
fefTed 10 the active list again. He
said theiactive naval strength of the
rncifie now Included nine cruisers.
two gitnbpnts. one transport, five tor
pcdo hoat destroycrs. three submit
rines ind ono tender. while the re-
sprve fleet comprised five armored
cruisers and twenty-four torpedo
boat tIestroyera and two submarines
~ife you think these vessels are
adequate pr sufficient protection to
The Pacific coast for warY" Represen-
tative Stevens of California asked.
mo. we have not got n great fleet
there, we iiilee no dreadnaught there.
| would hot consider Il fleet without
a dreadnaught a very strong fleet II
we were 10 have trouble with any
nation. we would send a fleet through
the Panntl9 f9nal"'
Sets kidttlc Danger.
You DO not think trouble could
arise and hvefy material damage bel
done before any fleet could get on
the Pacific cuast? p
II think. the odds are the other
way. 0nc OF the reasons perhaps Il
chief reason, why we built the Pam
hma e;lnnl WAS to make II possible to
have u fleet to defend both coasts"
. Have We fleet sufffYieht TO de-
fond hoth coastse"i@ 4isi css4i y.
'syes, sir. altogether sufficient 90
defend both coasts tsI
''ffnt H cannot defend both cousts?'
'2s'Nut III the same time. n we arc
.going 10 have war we can get a fleet
80 the Pacific eonst. The day When
the Pacific has q sIaall fleet and
With no chance OF the fleet being on
that coast, VIII end next March. We
shall Keen The fleet where II seems
hest TO Keep II Tor the protection of
the countiy. As d matter of fact,
there Il hardly 4 possibility OF our
being attacked on both sides at once.
"a think that with the opening of
The canal. enabling us to get ships
through 10 the Pacific very quickly,
the people OF the Pacific coast win
feel that they are taken care OF as
much as the people on the Atlantic.
| would not want one or more dread
naughts on the Pacific eoast~--l would
rather have d division with the OPEN
Ing Of the canal"