The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-08-08
c. Won |. MEYER
CONTINUED From First Page.)

must have a division of battle cruisers
with a speed of thirty knots, an In
creased division OF submarines and an
ample number of supply ships, but
what is even of greater Importance.
must have a naval reserve of $4,000
men, because ships without expert
enced men are Of little value.
For example. we cannot but fall to
be impressed that Japan has divi-
sion of four battle cruisers of 1880
tonnage, with a speed of "a 12 knots.
This battle cruiser division could i'm
mediateIy control the entire COM
merce of the Pacific Ocean. and we
have no battle cruisers at all. and no
battleships which could overtake
them, the speed OF our battleships be-
ing limited to 81 knots.
should Repair Need At Once.
I'VE should not hesitate in laying
the keeIs at once of a battle cruiser
division OF four ships Their arma-
ments and speed and their ability to
overwhelmingly destroy commerce and
control the ocean have been too in
deiibly impressed upon us to lose any
time We have fleet that can carry
out an aggressive policy of offense
liberal education as to the needs OF
the navy will create a public senti-
ment that will Influence Congress to
the necessary speedy action at Its next
session.
Ideas Preconccived.
"Mr Daniels took up the duties OF
the Secretary of the Navy with the
preconceived idea--under the tutelage
Of Bryan--that there would be no
wars and that the navy would not be
required as q national defense, and,
therefore, he could use this big o.
ganization along lines by which 1t
would become a great national school
Hence, his orders to establish the
school on ships. instructed by officers
and the endeavor to change over our
battlswhips into little red school,
houses
MIR. Daniels has overlooked the fact
that the product of the navy Is mill
itary efficiency and not personal educa-
tion,
AS to Secretary Daniels council
composed of the chiefs of departments
and the heads of the bureaus, each
OF the bureau chiefs Is supposed to be
IA specialist in one branch of the navy.
No one OF them claims to be fitted to
advise ON matters Of other bursans.
and II they were the secretary would
not know whose advice was best. The
duties Of the bureau are so great that
their entire time Is taken UP In at
tending to it's details and thu exeou-
! ton OF it's requirements.
1 Council of OMcerm Needed.
"A council should be made up of
officers who advise, but who do not
execute, whose time can be gwen up
entirely to planning the naval policies.
| to prepare against war. and the hand
ling of the navy SO as 10 win If war
! should come.
| Up to the present time Mr.. DAN
| iels, Instead of leading and directing
| public opinion In tho manner thai
! Secretary of War Garrison IL doing
! with the army. has followed quite the
| contrary policy, and has been holding
! back all ne could. ana Ia now being
! unwiiiingfy swept along before the
! tide of public opinion al to the re-
/ uniremeuts OF national defense.
with respect to the new civilian
| advisory board. 1t 10 a copy of Eng
| lands inventions board. which pre-.
cedsd by ten days the abliss.me en-;
| of Mr.. Daniels inventors advisory
board Manifestly the time OF such
! men as Edison. Maxim and Others
I ca mot be given TO examining thou
I sands OF devices. This would require
/ them 10 be continuously In session
| These gentlemen can undoubtedly be
valuable in giving their trained
| minds to the solutions OF great neces-
stiles OF the navy which come within
| the knowledge or experience or men
| who are not naval experts.
1.-THE navy must nave conclusive
/ data to work on, and war liz a
real test OF Its vessels and weapons
Therefore we must not fail to learn