The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-08-17
The Many Going Back

lCKILL in gunnery is a treasured tradition Of
! - long standing in the American Navy. Critic
ism on this score strikes a responsive chord on
| the heart of our people. AS an advertiser the
present secretary of the navy has no equal in the
tcabinet but his abilities in this field have been
taxed to relieve popular apprehension over the
charge that the target practice OF our ships OF war
shows serious deterioration in Workmanship.
/ 1t is not Congressman Gardner, a Republican,
nor Rear-Admiral Fiske, our leading naval expert
who lost favor with the secretary of the navy
after telling congress the truth about the navy's
short -comings but no less distinguished a civil
| ian observer and authority than ]. Bernard Wal
ker, the editor of the Scientific American, who now
| critcizes. Mr. Walker in the latest war issue OF
his periodical makes the editorial declaration that
| "the elementary practice held last fall was the
poorest of any in the five years during which the
present methods of carrying out target practice
| have been in use" Here is testimony that cannot
be dismissed as having prompted by partisanshp or
pique 1t corroborates the politically made charges
| of Congressman Gardner and Admiral Fiske and
further confederation can be found aboard any
! ship of the navy today if congress and the public
are deluded by any further doubts.
Instead Of the worst the latest practice should
have been the best Instead experience, improved
guns and better appliances with an adequate per-
claims. Mr.. Walker. Until the present naval ad-
ministration began its maladmnstration the tar
get practice scores from year to year showed
steady improvement Mr.. Walker does not men
ton Secretary Daniels by name, but mention is
not necessary for the reader to place the respon-
sibility for what he reads. Not only was the
/ elementary practice unsatisfactory, but Mr.. Wal
ker adds that in the all-important battle practice
last autumn, though the nominal record appeared
to be good, ct should be noted that the average
range for the ships that took part seven thou
! sand yards and some ships steamed into six thou
| sand yards" Now the minimum range for sew
eral years past has been nine thousand yards.
| Furthermore, the same authority declares that
| "The ships steamed parallel to the target with
the result that the change Of range and the diff
| Guilty of keeping on the target corresponding
| ly smaller and the work of the un-pointers was
| rendered more easy"
These methods and their results Justify the
| concern which they have aroused among the com
handing officers of the fleets. These officers will
doubtless bear Mr.. Walker out in his plain state
ment that TWO infunces have brought about this
onditon. One is the shortage of officers and the
act that young and inexperienced officers have
of late years been assigned positions in the turret
which formerly were held by officers of greater agt
and longer experience" Another and weighty
! factor he holds to be the breaking up of the At
lantic feet into small units and the long and
! futile anchorage off Vera Cruz.
| Its effect" states Mr. Walker "in breaking il
upon the regular routine of target practice ha
been decidedly harmful and the target record
prove IT." Yet the Secretary Of the Navy deneC
the Truth Of the charges of his assistant secretary
Mr.. Roosevelt, and Congressman Gardner about
the shortage OF officers from which the navy il
suffering. and he has constantly hoasted OF ou
battleships being compelled to do gunboat duty
to their deterioration and that of their crews il
Mexican waters. ''' '"'''. '.@"''' ~ -
The San Francisco Argonaut states on uudisput
able authority that Secretary Daniels lates
scheme-that of ensting the scientific services o
MIR. Edison and Others members of an advisor
boards merely for the purpose of diverting at
tention from his own defects as an admjnistrato
and the Argonaut hopes the American public vii
refuse to be gulled. 1t win probably take NOR
than an invention of Mr.. Edison or his felloy
members OF the board to relieve the demoraliza
ton and encouragement SO prevalent among tn
officers and men of the navy today as result O
the mismanagement of affairs of which Mr. Dan
iels is guilty, and even worse than that his mis-
management in his distrust Of officers whom h
has not hesitated to dscredit on one score or an
other.
The Mexicans have been cautioned to be goo
and warned about being good and told to be gooc
These things having failed to hit the Mexica
appreciation, we beg them to be good. Afte
that nothing appears to remain except to max
them be good