The Washington herald., 1914-12-13
NEWS OF ARMY, NAVY AND MARINE. CORPS


Secretary of the Navy Daniels praises
his department highly. in his annual
report II his requests are carried out
by the short session OF Congress, he
says. the United States win have a
well rounded navy equal. II not su-
perior TO that OF any navy in the world.
ship for ship and man for man."
Critics of the navy have declared re-
Gently that the department has fallen
on in eficiency. but Mr.. Daniels main
tains that "in every line OF progress
and achievement it has demonstrated
its steady advance"
1T must be true in the American
navy that every sailor carries an ad-
miraTs flag in his ditty box, as Napo-
France, that every soldier carries
marshals baton in his knapsack."
LaPses Into POesy.
Throughout the report there is pro-
nounced literary, flavor. Mr.. Daniels
quotes four lines from Tennyson in
his fifth paragraph and two more lines
in the final paragraph. He also alludes
to the classics and uses apt sayings
to illustrate his points.
From the highest rank to the newest
recruit there has been manifested a
spirit of comradeship and cooperation
and ambition" says the report. These
essential qualities are seen and felt in
every line OF effort-whether under fire
at target practice or in aeronautics.
which have realized the dream of
Tennyson:
saw the heavens fill with commerce. srsOsies Of
magic sails,
Pilots Of the purple twilight, drOOPinE down the
Heard the heavens fill with shouting. and there
rain'd a chastity dew.
Prom the nations airy naTiss 1Appling in the cen
trsl blue"
In the submarines, where Jules
Verne's vision OF Twenty Thousand
Leagues Under the Sea" has been trans
lated from the realm Of fiction to the
realm of fact, in the schoolroom or the
workshop: walking the deck or man
ming the gun, or conQuering the cur
rents of the air by wireless. In
word. in every activity OF our many
sided service, officers and men have
risen in splendid performance OF duty
TO add new glory and new luster to
our navy, which, from the days of Paul
Jones and Barry TO those who fought
at Vera Cruz, has won glory, more by
restrained self-mastery than by aggres-
sivs display of courage.
IL Is lhuS seen lHdl increase VI
personnel and in material 1914 has
strengthened the force and power of
the navy. With the authorization by
the Congress, shortly to convene, of
a program as progressive as at the ses-
sion which closed in October. the navy
will be stronger, relatively and ac-
tually, than at any period OF our his
tory"
Growing Place of Air Craft.
Secretary Daniels advocates gen.
erosity in the appropriations for sub
marine craft, the value of which he
says the present war has shown. He
gives statistics to prove that our navy
is not behind the other great nations
in proportion of submarines themselves
to other units and adds that "as far as
the submarines themselves are con-
cerned, 1t is believed that ours are on
a par with any in the world" He also
calls attention to the growing import
ance of air craft in war.
fHenceforth, ali the fighting ships
which are added to the feet will use
OIL" says Mr.. Daniels, and the transit
ton from coal TO oil will mark an era
in our naval development almost COM
ps rable with the change from black
powder to smokeless powder for our
guns" He also reviews the remark
able achievements OF the electrically
propelled collier, Jason. the only large
vessal of its kind in the world. and de-
Scribes the experiments along this line
which the navy is making.
The Pearl Harbor CHawaiian Is
lands) Naval Station and Dry Dock he |
calls the overwhelming and brain |
racking problem OF the year. absorbing |
more time in its imperative investiga- |
tiOns and considerations than any
other matter to be settled by the de- |
partment"
The secretary reviews the question OF !
aTmOr plate at some length, accusing !
the three great manufacturers of over |
charging the government and prevent !
ing competition and renewing his rec
of a Federal armor plate |
factory.
The general board of the navy in its :
annual report asks for an increase in
the personnel OF the navy. Mr.. Daniels |
does not think this necessary, he says,
and sets forth how the present number !
NJ officers and men can be made to suf- /
flee.
No Increased Personnel Needed.
The general board on its general re-
port recommends that personnel be
provided for certain classes of ships.
By wisely utilizing the present enlist
ed personnel all ships of the classes !
named can be maintained in full COM
mission without addition to the present
1T is estimated that more than 30
per cent of the effective fighting power
Of the navy is now fully manned. And
this percentage will be increased pro-
as new ships are placed
in active service by taking the crews
from the older ones of little OF no fight
ing value. 1t is conservative to say
that the Dreadnought Pennsylvania in
lighting value is worth four or five old
and an indefinite number of
Did cruisers, yet she requires no more
men than an old battleship, or two or
three of the old cruisers II
Owing to financial condition of the II
Treasury, due to war conditions abroad,
he department does not ask for more /
men this year. Later on, increase in
personnel should keep pace with new
In the meantime, there
will necessarily have to be placed in /
'eserye from time to time vessels
which, although not sufficiently up to
late Ior the fighting line, can render
good service in coast defense. For the
of such vessels and of the
auxiliary which would be required with
he fleet in time of war a reserve nee
'ssary should be organized and train
d at the earliest practicable date"
The secretary praises the naval mill
tia.
Mr.. Daniels says the navy is COM I
nG TO be the biggest university of
America" thanks to his school sys-
en-. OF his order banishing liquor, he
ays that mot one but several foreign
ountries caught step and fell into line,
One of them going so far as to pro-
libit the use of liquor i'm both army