Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-08-26
CONFERENCE ON Wy0M|NG
Lessons Taught by the War
Have Been Taken Advantage
Of by Every Officer in the
Service-NO Superior Fleets
in the World, Says Secretary.

Boston Aug PA navy steadily In
crea sed in size and efficiency so that u
will be ready to defend tho country
against attack from any quarter.
This Is the aim Of Secretary of the Navy
Josephus Daniels as declared before the
governors conference to-day at an ad-
iourned session on board the haEship
wyoming of the North Atlantic fleet In
assachsetts bay.
For two hours the secretary STOOD on
the bridge Of the flagship while Admiral
Fletcher put the fleet through intricate
manoeuvres illustrating attack and de-
fense.
The navy must abide in the hearts OF
the whole country II 1t is to be strong ana
powerful and made great" the secretary
told his guests 1T is for the people not
the President or myself. to say how great
& shall be. AS you go TO your homes YOU
will sneak the word that will help to de-
termine this question.
THE greatest things that the navy 10
doing are not heralded. Since the war
began there is not an officer in any
department of the navy who has not
taken advantage Of the lessons taught
by the war Experiments are pro-
ceeding day and night. and to-day In
every element our navy has no super
ior in the world We do have super
iors in size and numbers and IT is for
us to continue to strengthen our navy.
II believe we ought to increase our
Inavy steadily so that in time Of stress
and emergency the real first strong
arm of our country will be ready to
defend our country II it is attacked
from any quarter"
4 NtN cd fhn
nors at Charlestown. The fleet was
then reviewed. an interesting feature
being an attack" upon the larger war
ships by the torpedo boat flotilla. Fol-
lowing the maneuvres the Wyoming
brought the party to Gloucester where
/ they stopped for a moment at the home
of John Hays Hammond. Thence they
went in automobiles to the Eastern
Yacht club at Marblehead where they
were entertained at dinner by the Bos-
ton Chamber of Commerce.
Secretary Daniels responded to a toast
to President Wilson paying a high tribute
to the executive and declaring that the
| President had left nothing undone TO put
the country in a proper condition Of de-
| Tense.
In the manoeuvres the ten dread
noughts steamed at ten knots speed. As
the last of the line came abreast Of the
| Wyoming, the Arkansas went column
| right, heading east and at the same time
! the Wyoming proceeded east at l5 knots,
| corning abreast of the center Of the
! squadron.
/ The Wyoming then manoeuvred the
line of batteshps, gradually working
eastward and northward
While the governors and their guests
We're absorbed in the interesting manoeu-
vres of the big ironclads. the destroyer
'otilla suddenly reappeared and made an
| attack on the east of the battleship line
from A head. The attack was theoreti-
cally countered, upon which the destroy
ers drew off to the southwark,
Later the hattleships escorted the Wy
oming until Gloucester was approa ched.
when all hut the IA gshp headed eastward
and steamed towards the southern drill
grounds off the Virginia capes for target
practice, The Wyoming. after leaving her
guests, will rejon the hatteahip fleet Tho
destroyers after the war game proceed
ed To the southern drill grounds
| The governors wen entertained at
luncheon by the wardroom officers of the
flagship on the way down the nav. md
Secretary Daniels lunchcd win Admiral
| Fletcher.