New-York tribune., 1914-12-21
OUR WEAK NAVAL BASES
The Urgent Need of Protecting and Improving Our
Yards and Docks, as Advanced by
Admiral Luce

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: I'm an article on the needs OF
the navy, published la The North
American Review as long ago as April
1911. Rear Admiral $. b. Luce, retired,
the foremost writer on American naval
subjects. pointed out to the country,
and incidentally 20 the world at large,
how the American people are being de-
Iuded into believing that they possess
a powerful navy for defensive pur-
poses, while, as a matter Of fact, the
navy's bark is worse than its bite, be-
cause 10 has no adequate bases from
which TO operate. Apart from the need
OF a strongly fortified harbor to assem-
bic and lit out modern battle feet,
Admiral Luce showed that recent naval
experience emphasizes the fact that even
avictorous fleet suffers losses which re-
qurc the immediate docking and re-
pairing of many vessels, while a fleet
which has been worsted in battle must
seek the shelter Of it's base, often in
sinking condition, or go to the bottom
in deep water.
Data on the subject of such naval
bases have been IN the possession Of the
Navy Department for li0 years, the
first comprehensive report being one
made to the British Admiralty prior
to the Revolutionary War, yet there is
no properly fortified port ON our sea-
board where the navy has adequate IA
clities for docking modern battleships.
Such yards and stations as VIC have
were established with utter disregard
OF their strategic positions. but through
no fault Of the General Board of the
navy. That question said Admiral
Luce, ais for Congress to decide, not
for the navy. IL is for Congress to
say whether or not the paramount ne
cessities of the entire country are 70
be sacrificed 10 the political interests
of localities having little or no mill
tary value 10 was a very wise move
20 establish a naval base at Pearl Har-
Dor, Hawaii, 1000 miles off the coast
Vi California, but il would be equally
rise 10 establish one at home right at
cur very door. The argument against
the establishment Of q naval base at
Narragansett Bay is that we have too
many little naval stations already and
that the administration would scarcely
be justified i'm asking Congress for the
money necessary 70 erect another and
entirely new one
Citing the published report Of the
Taft National Defence Board i'm 1906,
the admiral quotes; Commercially
and strateglcally Chesapeake Bay is
to-day, as u always has been, Of the
very first importance. With the en-
trance unfortitied. as il Is now, should
hostile feet gain control of the sea
il could establish a base on its shores
without coming under the fire of a sin
gle gun. II could pass in and out at
pleasure, having access to large quantI-
ties Of supplies Of all kinds, and
paralyze the great trunk railway lines
crossing the head Of the bay" To pre-
clude this possibility the army has
long had a plan worked out TO create
an artificial island on The Horseshoe,
a shOal BOO the mouth Of Chesapeake
Bay, which, together with the heavy
guns mounted at Cape Charles and
Cape Henry, would etTectually close the
bay 70 any enemy. And IT," continues
Admiral Luce, I'm conjunction with the
building Of these defence works BY the
army the navy would build up-to-date
dry docks at some carefully selected
point in tho bay for the docking Of the
30,000-ton bsttleship now provided for,
Chesapeake Ray would become boz time
a naval base of the urst order
Key West, Fla, is the most impor-
tant strategic point on the southern
coast, and the early completion Of the
Panama Canal emphasizes its impor-
tance from naval point Of view. It's
great natural advantages have been
materially enhanced by the construction
Of the Florida East Coast Railway,
which connects IL with the mainland,
and a. long ago as April 3. 1910, an
interesting report showing the .mme-
Iiatc necessity OF fortifying Key West
appeared at length in the Congress
.ional Record
Guantanamo Cuba, is a valuable ad-
vance post for the same reason that
Key West ought to be made a perma-
uent naval base. I'm the event Of the
Caribbean Sea becoming the theatre of