New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-18
Mr.. Daniels Refuted Again by His
Own Official Associates.

Secretary Daniels presldes over very I'M
perfectly administered official household His
opinions on naval policy seem to be shared by
nobody else about the Navy Department, except
ing possibly his private secretary. lie Is nope
lesslv at odds with the General Board Of the Navy
But instead of suppressing the General Boards
latest report as meddesome and superhuous,
he passed it on TO Congress along with his own
report and thus invited the world to contrast the
clarity and vigor of the boards reasoning with
the mudde-headedness of his own lucubrations
Mr.. Daniels has had no better luck with the
Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Mr.. Franklin
D. Roosevelt than he had with the General
Board. The Naval Sunshine Nociety activities OF
his superior do not 90 with Mr.. Roosevelt. The
latters testimony before the House COMMITTEE
on Naval Affairs shows that he, too, realizes the
deficiencies which Mr. Daniels is so anxious to
cover up His policy differs radically from that
of his chief, and he stand so little in fear OF
discipline that he more than backs up the General
Board on one of its important differences OF
opinion with the Secretary-that in regard to the
present deficiencies in the navy's personnel
II is interesting to compare what Mr.. Daniels
has TO say about the shortage in the enlisted force
with what the General Board and the Assistant
Secretary have TO say. The Secretary founders
about considerably in explaining his "stand-pat
attitude. He says that he intends, without ask
ing for more men this year, ito not only MAIN
tain the effective fighting strength Of the navy,
but to increase it proportionately as ships now
under construction are completed and added to
the navy list during the next year" This ne is
going to accomplish by "the distribution OF the
personnel to the best advantage" The present
force in his opinion, can be made TO take care
of the new ships added to the navy In the next
two years" by the simple expedient OF Withdraw
ing from service old vessels of little or doubtful
military value" In other words, the second or
coast defence line of batteships to be stripped
of crews in order to furnish enough men for
crews for the first fighting line.
Robbing Peter to pay Paul is the Daniels plan
of maintaining an efficient navy. Naturally that
kind of policy does not appeal to the General
Board since it holds that the present navy can
be maintained in a reasonable state of prepared
ness only by providing an active personnel, off
GERS and enlisted force capable of keeping in full
commission all battleships under fifteen years Of
age from date Of authorization all destroyers and
submarines under twelve years of age from date
of authorization half of the cruisers and all gun
boats and all the necessary auxiliaries that go
with the active feet, and by furnishing nucleus
crews for all ships in the navy that would be
used in time of war and for the necessary train
ing and other shore stations"
The General Board did not estimate in figures
the deficiency in men, probably because 1t was
inclined to spare Mr.. Daniels's feelings. Mr..
Roosevelt has supplied this omission. He is re-
ported as telling the House Committee on Naval
Affairs that the actual shortage for present neces
sites is about "a 900 men and that I'VE are from
10000 to $4,000 men short of the needs of the
navy as laid down in the confidential war plans
of the War College"
Mr.. Daniels is an administrator without stand
ing in his own department. He does not know
the needs of the navy and does not want to know
them. His subordinates do not hesitate to ex-
pose in one way or another the futility of his
recommendations. If Congress really wants to
repair the shortcomings of the service the last
man in the world it will heed is the present in
competent head of the Navy Department