The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-17
NOTHING WRONG
 WITH DUR NAVY SAYS DANIELS
Praises Discipline and Gen. eral Conditions in Ad- dress Before Navy
 League Members

New York. April 16.-"we do not know what we will be called upon to do. but we are ready" This, the only statement Rear Admiral Charles J. Badger. com mander in chief of the Atlantic fleet, had to make as his ships steamed out of Hampton Roads for Mexico. was made public here tonight by Secretary Daniels to be added ito the splendid words spoken by American naval heroes.'
 MT. Daniels told members of the Navy League of the United States at their annual banquet that the brevity and com prehensiveness of that statement deserved to rank with those of Dewey at Manila and John Paul Jones in the battle of the Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis
 An appeal for popular support of the navy was voiced by the secretary
 There is nothing the matter with our navy" he said There is nothing the matter with our discipline. There is noth- ing the matter with our splendid per- sonnel; there is a great deal the matter with the public viewpoint; there is a great deal the matter with the lack of information on the part of a great DOT ton of our citizens as to the navy.
 Need Peoples Friendship
 Tt is my firm belief that no definite programme of naval construction-by that l mean a programme that will not be in jeopardy every time Congress assemblies can be laid down until an overwhelming majority of our people become friends of the navy and give somewhat more than a passive support to the navys proper de- velopment.'
 Mir Daniels said his pride and admira- tion of American naval officers and men was stirred and strengthened by John Lind, President Wilson's personal repre- sentative in Mexico, upon his return to the United States recently. The secre- tary remarked that MT. Lind called to tell him that the officers and men of the navy were the finest body of men he ever had known, and that Rear Ad- miral Fletcher was a wise man. of sound judgment, and better than that, he is a patriot, loyal to the core to his coun- try"
 The navy now has it's full quota and for the first time has a waiting list the secretary said.
 Speaking of this recent order abolishing the wine mess the secretary said:
 With singular lack of logic critics who see fit to represent me as foe to discipline on the one hand. twist this into a case of discipline run mad on the other. Far greater questions than that of discipline lie back of this.'
 The Secretary said there was nobody of more temperate clear headed men in the world than American naval officers He asked his hearers whether they would not demand the abolishing of a wine mess in railroad enginees' club houses if the railroads should permit such a thing.
 The wreck of a great battleship" said the Secretary; the loss of a -criti- cai battle and the honor of the coun- try may easily hinge upon one of many men in the varied and complex duties which these great masses of intricate machinery, called battleships. havo ere ased."
 Secretary Daniels called attention to Emperor Williams advice to the naval cadets at Murwick:
 That nation which consums the .east quantity of alcohol wins. And that you should be, my gentlemen. And through