Imperial Valley press., 1914-10-20

washing loH, OcC. NV- VIC maven
enough of anything"
This is the keynote of opinions Of
navy and war chiefs who commented
privately today on the unpreparedness
of the United States in event of war
as exploited by Representative Care
ner in his "wake up America" warn
ing.
The hope is expressed by officials
now that the Secretary of the Navy
and Secretary of War will make dras-
tic recommendations to Congress as to
increase of efficiency because Of the
developments in the European war
and the Important news which army
and navy men who have been abroad
have brought back here.
/ Nearly everyone of these visitors
to Europe is writing out his views.
There is none of the experts today,
however, who will say that he has
information to indicate the views of
President Wilson on increase in either
army or navy, or war and navy arma-
ment.
Il While the war chiefs are forbidden
by the Presidents explicit order to
publicly discuss the war in any phase,
they did not hesitate privately to say
today that Representative Gardner
had exactly and squarely sized the
| lcssf ArN >f h. lvnir oIc, q,
member of the general board of which
Admiral Dewey is chairman, ventured
the opinion that Germany, notwith-
standing our fairly good fleet, could
land an army on the United States
shores. He recalled the fact that for
a number of years persistently the
recommendations of Admiral Dewey
have either been slaughtered in Con-
gress or ignored to such an extent as
to make the additions to the navy
rather matters of expense than in
creased efficiency.
In his startling speech Mr.. Gardner
was hacked up with data from General
Leonard Wood, chief Of staff; Admiral
Dewey, the report of General VIM.
Crozier, chief of ordnance of the
army; Admiral Twining, who was un-
til The present administration chief
of the ordnance of the navy depart
ment, and the detailed reports of
which all the higher chiefs expressed
their opinions to Congress.
The international News Service
learned today that there will be a
demand on the new Congress early in
December for an appropriation OF
$3OO,0OO for powder as starter in
increasing the army stores. Also
there will be positive recommendations
by the experts of the navy for sub
marines and probably of new type.
Rush work will soon be ordered to
utilize the $26O,O0O appropriated some
time ago for the increase of the
torpedo plant at Newport. Although
the enlargement of this plant has
been imperative for the past six
years, the money was made available
only On the first of last July.
An effort will be made to complete
the requisite number of 2Oinch tor
Pedoes for the new naval construction.
All = the older type of vessels have
l8-inch torpedoes and the stock will
not be available for the new vessels.
1t was stated today to the Interna-
tional News Service that there are in
sight 26 new torpedo tubes that had
to be provided for. The means the
United States has of furnishing this
material is the private concern at
Brooklyn and the torpedo plant al
Newport.
The limit by law of enlistments in
the navy is $1,000 men. Officers who
have the record say tonight that the
limit has been enlisted. They say that
it will require strong pull to wake
up higher authorities to tell Congress
fatty that Congress must authorize
more men and not have condition
by which ten or eleven battleships are
lying up with probably not more than
cne-third of a crew on board.
These officials say that the United
States has about $4,000 marines which.
however, would make very thin line
to protect or to operate from the
ports on the Pacific; the terminals of
the Panama canal, the gulf and the
Atlantic.
The navy is counting tonight on
some edifying reports and recommcn-
dations from Admiral Dewey's board.
Parts of the work of this board for
this year on which Secretary of the
Navy Daniels is to have his annual
report are already at the Navy De-
partment.
The main points of the recommcn-
dations, they say, are that the next
Congress should authorize four bat