The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-01-27
. 4 y
|DEWEYIS ASKED
TO GIVE VIEWS
Probably VIII Discuss Naval
Building Program Before
Committee. =
ACTION IS SIGNIFICANT
Mao "a
ACTION IS SIGNIFICANT
May Be at Suggestion of Secretary
Daniels. Although Latter, Opin-
ions Differ from Admiral's.
by Joseph p. AMIN.

l
probably viii appear before the House
COMMITTEES on Naval Affairs this week.
Admiral. Dewey will discuss the building
program Of the navy. He will appear
at the invitation of the compittee, issued
following yesterdays meeting.
just what Significance to attach to this
| unusual move on the part of the COM
mittee, Is difficult to determine. Admiral
Dewey. as president Of the general boa I'd
OF the navy. Is not In accord with the
public views Of Secretary of the Navy
Daniels as to the requirements OF the
navy in the matter OF new ships OF this
| fact the House Naval Affairs Committee
! lie fully aware, inasmuch as Secretary
Daniels In his annual report to Congress,
| for the first time in years. carried as
| an appendix the recommendations Of the
general board for four battIeships. The
Secretary asked only for two big ships.
The Naval Affairs Committee has
every reason to be in sympathy with
the Secretary Of the Navy. and there
Is no reason to believe that the latter
| Is opposed to the calling of Admiral
Dewey. for whom he frequently and
publicly has expressed the highest ad-
miration. 1t would not be a wild guess
to state that the committee is acting
himself in the matter. inconsistent as
such a statement would appear upon its
face.
Dewey III at Present.
Admiral Dewey at present is confined
TO his home by illness. While this may
keep him from his duties for a few days.
y VIII not prevent his appearance, II is
believed Rear Admiral Vreeland, rank
Ing officer OF the general board, will
appear IL Admiral Dewey is unable TO
leave his home
The fear OF being classed as lingo"
prevents many people i'm public life
mere from expressing publicly their
real views on the present situation.
As has been declared in these col
umns on several occasions recently,
the officers OF the army and navy both
are convinced of the urgent necessity
Tor war preparations, not so much with
view to immediate conflict with a
hrst-clsss power, as through a resli-
zation that such preparation must con-
sumo, al best, from two to three years
There have been several indications
that Secretary Daniels shared this be-
lief. His action in sending to Con-
gress along with his report the find
ings Of the general board indicates
this.
The action of last summer. when
more than n years supply of coal was |
shipped TO the Pacific Coast and there |
stored. indicates il. and the action of |
the House Committee on Naval AZ |
fairs in inviting the Admiral OF the 4
Navy. whose views are supposedly in
tended for the ear Of the President 1
and the Secretary and who occupies /
the position of chief of a board of
strategy. is believed to be of the great |
est significance.
May BE Other Reasons.
or course. there is the possibility !
that the committee is less interested |
In Admiral Dewey's views on the
building program than on some other I
question OF govern
armor plant, perhaps-but |
IL Is highly improbable that Admiral
Dewey would be summoned to discuss
4 question which involves policy rath-
er than execution and experience.
Secretary Daniels himself will appear
before the committee later in the week.
whether before or after the appearance OF
Admiral Dewey has not been determined
Ipon. Secretary Daniels will be invited
% cooperate with the committee in \
strong effort to eliminate the political
navy yards OF the Atlantic coast. with a
Jew to concentrating most of the navy
iard work at three yards, probably those
Il Boston, Philadelphia and Norfolk. The
committee expects to effect a saving Of
IL, 0oo. 900 a year through the elimination
" a large number Ct these comparatively
;seless yards and through administrative
eforms in the remaining yards. At least
TX or seven yards. IL is believed. should
,e eliminated outright
Civilians May Head Yards.
While there is an agitation annually
or the elimination of political navy
ards" ordinarily the impetus comes
rom the department and Is nipped in the
nd by members Of Congress. This is
he first time the movement has started
a Congress The administrative changes
and these are certain of violent opposi-
ion from the service-involve the ulti-
nate substitution Of civilians for line
Ulcers as navy yard heads. Secretary
)aniels support to the project is by no
leans assured.
Members OF the Committee decline to
ldicate what yards are marked for
1t is proposed, however,
D maintain one New England yard, prob
bly, Boston. the League Island yard, :
'hich has the only fresh water reserve i
asin on the Atlantic coast, and probably
TorfoIk. with its facilities for target I
ractice and maneuvers. The develop
lent Of an important South Atlantic
avy yard also is considered in connec-
on with necessary activities around the
anama Canal. Z
Would BE Economical. S
Admiral Strauss. chief OF ordnance of IL
he Navy Department. yesterday testified o
efore the House Committee on Naval o
fairs that in his opinion the govern
lent could effect a saving OF about 10 .
err cent in expenditures for armor plate T
II possessed an armor plate plant OF
s own
The chief OF ordnance said that, &C
ording to estimates he had prepared in
difference with other experts, the gov
rnment could build a plant that would
I'm out 5000 tons of armor a year for !,
!. 900 900. A 10,O00-ton plant would cost ~
,00o. 900 and a 6.0O0-ton plant would cost ,
100000. He added that il these esti-
lates were borne out in practice the
overnment could make armor plate for
bout $276 a ton.N whereas il now pays
30 a ton to private manufacturers.
1T Is not possible accurately to make
CURES on the results OF a projected in
istrial enterprise" said Admiral Strauss.
However, do not think this uncer-I
Unity should deter Congress from au-
favor the construction of such plant,
>cause I believe that through 1t we
,uld control the price of armor plate
He pointed out that since the conf
ruction of government powder plants
Ie price of that product had declined.