El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-11-21

its 16 months voyage AROUND tIS
Orld, there was no navy IN the "oII9 i
which, size for size, ship for snip, al, anu
squadron for squadron, stood at hiSh-
er pitch Of efficiency. - - -,,a
We blind ourselves to the truth II We
believe that the same is true now.
During the last 20 monlhs, e -
since secretary Meyer left the navy Qe-
partment, there has been in our nay )
a great falling off, relatively TO other
nations. 1t was quite lmpoSslpttSe -
av old this while our national aIIdiIis
were handled, as they have recenllS
been handled. The president who en-
trusts the departments Of state ana tne
navy to gentlemen like MessIs- d al
and Daniels deliberately invites dis-
aster, in the event of serious conpll-
cations with a formidable foreign op-
pCnent.
On the whole, there is no class OF
our citizens, big or small, who 50 EN-
phattcally deserve Wen OF the c9unlLy
as the officers and the enlisted men
CT the army and navy. No navy IN the
world has such fine stuff out OF Wnlch
to make men-of-Wars- men. BUT CilSy
must be heartily backed up, heartllE
supported, and 'sedulously trained Tney
must be treated well, and ABOVE an
they must be treated so as 10 encouI :
age the best among them by snarPly
discriminating against the worst. me
utmost possible efficiency shouid pc
demanded of them. They are emphatlc-
ally, and in every sense of the Word'
men; and real men resent with impa-
tient CONTEMPT a policy under which
less than their best is demanded
The finest material is utterly worth
less without the best personnel In
such a highly specialized service as the
navy constant training of purely mil
itsry type is an absolute necessity.
Navy in Bad Shape.
At present our navy is lamentably
short in many different material di-
rections. There is actually but one
torpedo = for each torpedo tube, 1t
seems incredible that such can be the
case; yet it is the case. We are many
thousands of men short IN our enlist
ments.
We are lamentably short in certain
types of vessel. But the shOrtcom-
iugs in our training are ever more
lamentable.
To keep the navy cruising near Vera
cruz and in Mexican waters, without
maneuvering, invites rapid deteriora-
tiCn. For nearly two years there has
been no fleet maneuyering; and TINS
fact by itself probably means 20
percent loss of efficiency. During the
same periods most of the ships have
not even had division gun practice
Not only should our navy be as large
as our position and interest demand,
but it should be kept continually at the
highest point of efficiency and should
never be used save for its own appro-
pirate military purposes. OF this ele-
mentary fact the present administra-
ton seems to be completely ignorant
Spanish War Great Lesson.
It has been said that the United
States never learns by experience but
only by disaster. Such method of edu-
cation may at times prove costly. The
slothful or shortsighted citizens who
are now misled by the cries Of the ultra
pacificists would do well to remember
events connected with the outbreak of
the war with Spain. I was then assist
ant secretary Of the navy,
At one bound our people passed
from a condition of Snug conf
dence that war never could occur
ia SNUG confidence just as great as
any we feel at pFesent) to a condition
OF utterly Ureasoning panic over what
might be done by US to very weak
antagonist. One governor of a sea-
board state announced that none of
the National guard regiments would
be allowed to respond to the call Of the
president because they would be needed
to prevent a Spanish invasion Of that
state-the SpaniaFds being about as
likely to make such an ivasiOn as we
were to, invade Fumbuctoo or 4urke-
stan.