Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-26
Cabinet Officer Writes Letter
TO President Of Williams
College Refuting Charge of
InefficienCy,
GOES INTO DETAIL AS
TO STATUS OF VESSELS
Declares That Both in Number
of Ships and Condition Of
Equipment the Service Is
Better Than Ever Before.
r.r 4orr,no JOURNAL SPECIAL lsA.sO w,.u

Washington, April 25.-SeCretary
Daniels tonight made public a letter
he has written to President Garfield
of Williams college detailing the
work in the navy during the last two
years Mr.. Daniels wrote in reply to
Mr.. Garfield's request for material to
meet statements that the United
States is unprepared for military
emergencies. The letter follows:
MY Dear President Garfield
Il am in receipt OF your recent fa-
yor asking for an authoritative state
mcnt concerning the present status of
the navy equipment Of the United
States and take pleasure In comply
ing with your request as far as COM
patible.
There are now in active service,
fully commissioned, 225 vessels of all
characters, which is more than were
fully commissioned when | became
secretary There are also 10l vessels
of various types, in reserve and in
ordinary and uncommissioned, eapa-
ble of rendering service in war. We
have under construction and author
lied seventy-seven vessels tnine
dreadnaughts twenty-three destroy
ers. thirty-eight submarines and seven
four vessels Give dreadnaughts, four
teen destroyers. twenty-three subma-
rines, three gunboats and nine auXil-
iaries) which were under eonstruc-
ton on March /, 1913.
Vessels Fully supplied,
"All the vessels enumerated those
in active service and those in re-
serve, are supplied with munitions OF
war. No navy makes public the
quantity of ammunition and torpe-
does mines and other implements OF
naval warfare which il keeps ready.
II may be said, however. that within
the last two years the quantity OF
all has been steadily and greatly in
creased For example, we have in
creased the number of mines, on hand
and in process of manufacture, by
244 per cent With reference to tor
pedoes, 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 its for
mer capacity and like enlargement
of the orpedo works and the equip
ment Of plant to construct mines
will still further increase at de-
creased cost, the quantity of such
stock, and the possession Of these
plants in times of emergency will en-
able the department to be in better
state Of preparedness as regards the
supply of ammunition, than ever be-
fore.
"The personnel of the navy Is ut
present composed of 1900 line, staff
and warrant officers, and 3D. III en-
listed men. Increases in the number
of officers is dependent almost en-
tirely on the output of the naval
academy commission which is re-
strcted by statute. The number oi
enlisted men also Is restricted, ana
the navy is today recruited to the
maximum strength allowed. There
are now with the colors, 5,S24 more
men-an. increase of IL per cent
than there were on March l, 1914.
MY professional training as a
journalist has always inclined me TO
the conviction that any officer. within
the prescribed limits recognized in the
navy should feel free to express ms
opinion in regard to matters III the
service; and there is not an officer
who commands a ship today VINO
could or would say that his ship, with
out or within, was not as good as II
was two years ago, or that the otll-
GERS who command it and the crews
VINO man it. are not as Thoroughly as
cipined, sober, loyal and efficient as
they were two years ago, or as they
ever had been
Men Are Enthusiastic.
The Atlantic fleet has returned
from Guantanamo where it has for
many years held it's annual winter
practices This year more battleships
and destroyers have participated in
the maneuvers, and for longer
period than ever before.
Under the direction of Admiral
Fletcher upon plans evolved at the
naval war college and approved ny
the department, the fleet has been
busted in tactics, to try out its eftl-
cheney ana readiness. All reports tel
Of the enthusiasm of officers and men
IN this practice and the splendid rec
ord made by the ships The fleet IS
now in Tangier sound and on the
southern drill grounds, where II VIII
be busy in target practice until May
when ii moves to New York for
weeks well-earned leave Then wlll
come the review at New York fol-
lowed by maneuevrs in Narrangan-
sett bay region. and finally the re-
view in Hampton Roads prior TO SAIL
ing through the Panama canal to the
Pacific en- route to the exposition.
These spring practices followed
close upon the heels of valuable ma
neuvers and tactics in October, NO
vember and December last This was
indeed strenuous practice, hut it IS the
way the navy is kept fit and ready,
and the new admiral is in command
of the fleet and the department
nlanuad such evtansiVe pVOlutiOnS be-