New-York tribune., 1914-12-24
Naval Affairs Committee
Gets Letters Showing
Friction.
SUBMARINE HEADS
VIEWS IGNORED
Correspondence Held to Indicate
Lack of Coordination in
the Department.
From II. Trlbun. Bursau.l

washington, Dec. 23.-Gorrebpohu-
ence filed with the House Naval Affairs
Committee to-day shows that Com
mander Yates Stirling, in charge of the
Atlantic submarine hotills, repeatedly
called the attention Of the Navy De-
partment 70 the needs Of the submarine
fleet to make it effective. and that ms
recommendation were in part ignored
The correspondence was produced by
the Navy Department in response to
request made during the recent hear
ings on the naval bill. The complete
files Of the department Of the SUD
marine controversy have not been fur-
nished, but the letters submitted to-
day show friction between Secretary
Daniels and Commander Stirling. In
one letter the Secretary reproves the
commander for alleged lack of respect
for the department head.
Rear Admiral Badger, recent ON
ma lder of the Atlantic lleet, also COM
plains in one letter because Commander
Stirling took up with the department
direct a question which the admiral
thought should have been referred to
him.
The committee is yet 10 decide
whether it will include in the printed
record this correspondence, which
member described to-day as showing
red tape and lack of coordination IN
the Navy Department, and also that
Commander Stirling was called down
for making recommendations after the
department asked his views
The limited portion of the corre-
spondence available shows that on Sep
tember II Secretary Daniels, referring
to Commander Strings rather en-
phatic protests regarding delay in put
ting the submarine hotilla in shape,
wrote:
Zeal in an officer should be coupled
with the proper respect for the depart
ment."
The Secretary added that "the dc.
partment will carry out such part OF
your recommendation as other inter
ests of the department render practi-
cable
Commander Strings letter Of Sep
tember 4 referred TO several previous
letters in which the commander has
carefully outlined what he believes to
be the urgent needs of the submarine
hotila and which up 10 this time have
not been accomplished
Documents now before the House
committee reveal that Commander Stir
ling wrote the department, or the
proper bureaus. eleven times between
June Il aud November 8, and that
number of suggestions made we're not
needed by the department.
Nevertheless, on November the de-
partment wrote 70 Commander Stirring
asking him TO explain the unprepared-
ness of the submarine flotilla for active
service" and calling upon him to make
recommendations "as 70 A course nee
essary to prevent such unpreparedness
in future
Commander Stirling replied. calling
attention TO his previous communlca-
tions and asserting further that one OF
the chief things needed was "co-ordlna-
tion between the divisions OF person
ne land materiel.'
On December Secretary Daniels re-
piled to this letter, and, omittlng ref
erence to the fact that Commander
Stirling had been asked TO express
frankly his opinion, the Secretary in
formed the submarine commander that
the department "was unable 70 under
stand the course of reasoning by which
YOU arrive at the conclusion of lack
of coordination between materlel and
personnel" Secretary Daniels added
that the department considers this in
lection in a letter replying to a re-
quest for information as highly I'M
proper"
In one Of his earlier letters Com
mander Stirling suggested that the
Navy Department seemed to have mo
policy regarding the submarine flo
tilla, and urged that if the department
had policy the commander of the
fiotilla should be spprised OF il.
4 considerable portion of the CORE
spondencc between the department and
Commander Stirling on the subject Of
the inefficiency Of the submsrlne fleet
was not supplied to-day, but the miss
ing letters ave been promised. The
committee will vote on publishing fully
the letters, the salient points OF hich
are given above.
The correspondence was demanded
when Commander Stirling intimated on
the witness stand that it had been diiti-
cult 20 interest his superior officers in
tho submarine fleet. AS the deiici-
encies OF the fotlla were gradually de-
vcloped before the committee and as
Commander Stirling made guarded ref
crences 10 communications he had sent
the department on these very points,
the committee decided 70 call for the
entire record.
II was Commander Stirling who con-
firmed The Tribune's disclosures that
there was but one submarine fit for sc-
tive service on the Atlantic coast, but
the correspondence indicates that Com
mander Stirling, who took command in
Nav. lost no time in pointing out the
deficiencies of the vessels under his
charge.