The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-03
United States Navy Made to
Appear Inferior to That of
Germany by Manipula-
ton, They Declare
STATEMENT ISSUED
SETTING FORTH THE
REASONS FOR CHARGE
Witherspoon and Hensley Maintain
That United States Is the Second
Naval Power of World-Sec-
retary Daniels Questioned
by Naval Committee

Washington, February 2.--That ex-
pert- of the navy department juggied
The statistics In the navy year hook for
iDt3 10 make the American navy ap-
pear inferior to the German navy, and
thereby set the United states down
from second 10 third place ms IA naval
power. was charged today by Repre-
sentatives Witherspoon of Mississippi
md uinsicy OF Missouri. members Of the
House naval affairs committee.
With Secretary Daniels before the
committee to explain the naval pro-
sramme for the coming year. the two
eongressmen, who nre strongly OPP
posed 10 "bIg navy" questioned him
M icngth ON what they declared were
omissions and faulty comparisons In
the sear hook. The secretary explained
that he WINS not expert In compnr-
inr pnvIes, and said he hnd relied on
shat experts la The navy had advised
him about the facts.
Where Book Is Inconsistent
In their questioning the congressman
brought out that three American battle
ships the oregon, Massachusetts and In
diana, which are Of the same tonnage
and of heavier armament than 10 listed
German hattleships, are left out OF the
United States list altogether and that
the year book instead of giving the
United States Sc battleships built and
building. compared with Germany's 30.
should have credited the United States
with 80 battleshlps OF heavier total tois-
ndge aud armament than oiernians. Thss.'
also Developed chat the navy statisticians
this year have taken out Of the dread
naught class the batteshipa south Caro-
lima and Michigan. which have dread
naught armament. and have put into the
German dreadnausht class of ships OF
i1-inch gun armament. The year books
comparison gives Germany 10 dread
naughts and the United States seven.
while the congressman insisted that the
correct figures should give Germany and
the United States nine dreadnaughts
each.
Representatives Make Statement
Detailed results of their investigation OF
the year books comparisons were an
nounGed by Representatives Witherspoon
and Hensey in the following statement:a
1T was developed that the United
States appeared to have three less bat
tleships than Germany because three of
the American batteshps were omitted
from our list namely. the Oregon. Massa-
chusetts and the Indiana. The reason
suggested by the Secretary of the Navy
for the commission of these three battle
ships was that they were old and obso-
ete, but 1T appears that in the German
list Is included 10 battleships. to-wit:
Kaiser Friedrich III. Kaiser Wilhelm III.
Kaiser Karl Der Crosse Kaiser Wilhelm
Der Crosse. Kaiser Barbarossa. Wittel-
bach, Zahringen, Wetten, Mecklenburg,
Schawben. each of which has a tonnage
of 1924, built at the same time as the
omitted American battleships and eaea
having a main armament Of four l-10-
inch guns while the Oregon. Massachu-
setts and Indiana have a main armament
of four 1S-inch guns and tonnage Of
10 2SS tons each,
"A high English authority was pre-
sented to the Secretary OF the Navy show
ing the inferiorty of the 10 German bat
ueships with their Q i-lo-inch guns to bat
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