Imperial Valley press., 1914-12-04
Secretary Daniels Tells
Of the Navy's Status

Washington, Dec. 4,-The admin
istration has abandoned its policy of
silence with regard to the assertions
of our national unpreparedness made
! by Senator Lodge and Representative
Gardner, and Secretary of the Navy
Daniels has issued two statements,
one in answer to the interviews Civ
en- by Senator Lodge yesterday and
the other in reply to statements made
| by Representative Gardner in his
speech in New York. In these state
ments Secretary Daniels make spc-
cific answers to the questions raied
by Senator Lodge and Mr. Gardner
In his statement answering Senator
Lodge Mr.. Daniels says:
Senator Lodge was quoted as say
ing 4 know myself that we are short
of scout cruisers, having only three
Senator Lodge has been a member Of
the naval affairs committee of the
Senate for many years and if he
knows, as he says, what we have, why
does he want an inquiry? Congress
determines what the navy shall have
If Congress will appropriate for more
ships the navy certainly will build
them.E / think he ought to read the
bureau reports, which are always
open to the public, the reports for
the present year having been avail
Ieble-most of them-for the past
week
"'Senator Lodge also states as fol
lows:
"'We are insufficiently supplied
with aeroplanes and hydro -aeroplanes,
which are so essential to modern war
fare
"1n my report last year, and in my
Forthcoming report, which will be
released for publication on December
II, | have ardently advocated the
fullest development of this branch of
cur service. In regard TO submarines
he states that there are not enough
in proportion to our fleet, but the fact
is we have a larger number of sub
marines in proportion to our battle
fleet than any nation excepting
France.
Senator Lodge is mistaken in his
belief that many of them would be
=
ordered years ago do not fully come
up to those constructed according 10
present day plans.
81 am having one of the latest au-
thorized submarines constructed in the
Portsmouth, N. H., navy yard and the
department is providing for the new
est ships and the best batteries that
can be had. | have been particularly
interested in the submarines and last
year, upon my recommendation, Con
gress appropriated for larger num-
Der of submarines than it had ever
appropriated for in a single year and
distinct departure and
advance by providing that one of these
ships shall be of the seagoing type
the first that any nation of the world
will possess.
Senator Lodge wishes to be in
formed as to whether it is true or
not that We have only one torpedo for
each torpedo tube. This statement is
erroneous.
"In regard to his statement that we
had no fleet maneuvers for two years
and no divisional drills for one year,
the fact is that | myself have attend
ed two fleet maneuvers and target
practices, one in the spring and one
in the fall of 1918, and fleet ma
neuvers were also held in the spring
Of this year. The ships are just now
returning from Hampton Roads,
where they have been engaged in the
fall maneuvers and target practice.
While the fleet was at Vera Cruz Ad-
miral Badger found time practically
every week for divisional maneuvers,
including tactical, gunnery and tor
pedo exercises. In his report of the
operations of the Atlantic fleet at
Vera Cruz he said: