The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1915-05-18

of various types in reserve and in ocdi-
nary and uncommissioned capable of
rendering service in war. We have
under construction and authorized II
vessels g dreadnoughts, % destroyers,.
SO submarines and auxilliaries) as
compared with "a vessels g dread
noughts, ID destroyers, % submarines,
| 3 gunboats and 9 auxilliaries) which
were under construction on March 1,
1913.
"All the vessels enumerated, those in
active service and those in reserve, are
supplied with munitions of war. No
navy makes public the quantity Of am
munition and torpedoes, mines, and
other implements of naval warfare
which it keeps ready. 1t may be said,
however that within the last two years
the quantity of all has been steadily
and greatly increased. For example,
mines, on hand and in process of man
ufacture, by 244 per cent. With ref
erence to torpedoes the increase in
two years has been 80 per cent. By
the enlargement of the naval powder
factory we shall soon be able to almost
double it's former capacity, and, like
enlargement of the torpedo works and
the equipment of plant to construct
mines will still further increase, at
decreased cost, the quantity Of such
stock, and the possession Of these
plants in times of emergency will en-
able the department to be in a better
state of preparedness as regards the
supply of ammunition than ever be-
fore.
1.-THE personnel of the navy is at
present composed of 1856 line, staff,
and warrant-officers and 53,171 enlist
ed men. Increase in the number Of
officers is dependent almost entirely
upon the output of the Naval Academy,
admission to which is restricted by
statute. The number of enlisted men
also is restricted, and the navy is to-
day recruited to the maximum OF
strength allowed. There are now with
the colors 1924 more men--an in
crease of IL per cent-than there were
on March /, 1914. a.
1.-THE European war as emphasized
the value of aircraft. The navy has
Jagged behind in this instrument of
war Last year l appointed a bureau
of aviation 1t recommended the util-
ization of the abandoned navy yard at
Pensacola as a training and repair
station for aviation and an aviation bu-
reu in the department This has been
done. Upon my earnest recommends
ton, congress appropriated $1,000,000
to begin upon an elaborate plan the
real development Of aviation in the
navy. 1t also approved my request to
pay aviators an increase of SO per cent
and we are organizing class of cap
able aviators. To make Immediately
effective this feature, three new hy-
droaeroplans have just been purchas-
ed, which is but the beginning Of the
work Of aviation, now we'll advanced
. along the lines of well considered
plan. l regard this as one of the mos,
far-reaching steps taken by the Viii.
son administration.
, 81 have answered your questions al
some length. There are two reasons
for the length of my letter.
81. Because these two years have
: been epoch-making in the navy, dis
) tinguished by more wise and progress
, sive naval achievement than any previ
Gus like period (thanks chiefly to {
patriotic congress), and
J "2. Because certain persons, ignor
5 partisan reasons, have busted them
selves with misrepresenting the tru'
} condition of the navy. All whit
: would learn the truth may be assured
: that the navy of 1915 is larger, bette
e equipped, and in better condition thar
in any previous year, and that tn
! fleet is becoming more efficient will
t every passing month"
Some papers, however, like the New
e ark Evening News Und.), Pittsbur1
S Chronicle Telegraph (Rep), Detroi
4 Free Press Qnd), and Brooklyn Eagl
D Qnd. Dem.), point out that the rea
e question before the country is no
t whether the navy is more efficient thar
. it was two years ago, but whether it i
: as efficient as it ought to be.
D In addition to these directors W
: find papers like the New York Pres
!, Und Rep, and American Qnd), re
t iterating their conviction that Mr.. Dan
: iels is constitutionally unfit to hea
i the navy department Remarks TIL
+ Press most emphatically:
: "If there twice the dreadnought
: that we have under the Stars an
It Stripes, if there were many more fleet
: of cruisers and submarines, the