The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1914-12-08

Naval oficefs'ins Honolulu do not
know whether 20 be highly amused, pro
fessionally indignant, or disrespectfully
,lisgusted at the statements attributed
20 Rear Admiral Joseph Strauss, chief
Of the naval ordnance bureau in the
press dispatches a few days ago. Adj
miral Strauss was quoted as having said
the American navy was somewhat be.
hind the times in the matter Of torpedo
craft, and In material, as well as lack
ing in Lagrange torpcdoes, which he
said constituted paramount weakness
in the navy today.
Unlkindest Cut Of All
Not only that, but the admiral went
further and said that the improvement
Of the efficiency of torpedo craft, and
the officers and men composing the
crews is not apaee with the development
of ordnance material All this very
frank public comment by the admiral
has caused more or less talk In naval
circles OF course Admiral Strauss did
not give out this information In an In
tervicw, but he embodied il in his an
nual report, which amounts to the Same
thing, as II becomes public property
Inquiry among the local naval officers
developed the fact that not one who
was interrogated had ever seen or heard
IF the Lagrange torpedo. They had no
doubt that whatever il is, il must be
al Admiral Strauss claims FOR it, and in
that event are willing to admit that the
navy is woefully weak. But as long
as the Lagrange torpedo is known only
to the naval ordnance bureau, and is
kept profound, secret from the person
mel Of the torpedo craft, the officers do
not see how they can very well help be-
ing inefficient.
Self Esteem shattered
Confronted with the bald question as
TO why the torpedo feet was SO inefii-
cient, an officer of one of the subma-
lines smiled broadly. seWe were dis
ussing that among ourselves he said.
None Of us knew we were so ineffi-
cient until we read about il. We had
gathered the idea that the American
torpedo practice was the best in the
world but now we appear to be back
numbers. However, il the department
will let us have some Of those Lagrange
torpedoes they are acquiring so rapidly,
maybe we can remedy our deficiencies.
Perhaps Congress will have to put up
more money, but they ought to be will,
ing TO do that to remove the aspersions
NV. Naob upoii ho.is otff.. /. /.
Didn't Really Kick ,f
The officers did not speak in any
spirit of criticism, the same being pro
hibited by naval regulations. They
spoke as aggrieved persons who were
being unduly blamed for something that
is not their fault, and they win never
rest content until they receive a fine
large consignment Of Lagrange torpe-
does. NHfkslI
Speaking Of navy transport de luxe,
the recent addition to the submarine
fleet IN Hawaiian waters arrived at Ho-
nolnlu last week on the deck Of the
navy fuel ship Hector, and all that had
TO be done was to slide il into the
water. This mode of transport beats
the long tow from San Francisco, say
the officers who came over by tho tow.
ing process.
Reward For Improvement
Ii was jokingly suggested that the
officers and men Of the + group Of sub
marines had been towed across as a
sort of punishment for their recently
discovered ''inefficieney,' and that the
latest arrival among the submaripes
was sent over riding first class TO show
them what they might expect when
they had regained their lost prestige.
II