The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-13
Secretary Daniels on the Navy.

Secretary Daniels on the Navy.
The annual report Of Secretary
DANIELS published this morning Is the
longest and most elaborate document
OF the kind ever written, we believe.
by a Secretary Of the Navy. Nothing
OF the slightest interest to the service
Is neglected, and while 1t Is to be re.
GREETED that Mr.. DANIELS did not uee
the blue pencil upon his 10000 words
Of copy, he will receive and deserve
high praise for the understanding and
energy he displays in dealing with the
needs Of the navy In the shadow Of the
great conflict In Europe.
The I'VE year building programme
has already seer the light. As the
Secretary says, planning to-day what
we will begin tomorrow In order to
have 1t completed in the future Is the
essence Of all true prepa redness."
That has long been the principle upon
which the General Board Of the navy
worked. but Congress has never been
sufficiently impressed BY the counsel
Of Admiral DEWEY and his associates:
nor was Secretary DANIELS wide
awake himself to the necessity Of ade.
Quate expansion Of the navy until
British and German squadrons had
fought three battles that taught the
lesson Of gun power and cruiser speed.
THE need for battle cruisers seems
Imperative" says Mr.. DANIELS in his
report. His predecessor, Mr.. MEYER.
dwelt upon the deficiency IN his last
communication to Congress, but Mr..
MEYEs did not have the support Of the
General Board, whose preference was
for more battleshlps. The United
States should have six dreadnought
cruisers In commission in 1921 II the
Sixty-fourth Congress acts f%avorably
upon the recommendations Of the pres
ent Secretary. together with 81 battle
shipA Of the first line, 10 armored
crulserA IS scout cruisers, 8 cruisers
Of the first class. 3 Of the second. 10S
~destrOyers, IS feet subma rines and
1877 coast submarines.
The credit Of q continuing as dis
tinguished from an annual programme
will belong to Secretary DANIELS. but
It required a great emergency to
change u policy. Congress must
provide for the payment Of the bill.
The coming year 1t may be $2l7,652,-
ia for old construction. new con-
struction. personnel and all other needs
Of the navy. Congress must ponder
the S~ecretary's warning that ut Is
better to spend money In times Of
peace for preparation than to run the
risk. however remote. Of sorely want
ing ships and ammunition II suddenly
needed"
OF the numerous other recommended
tons made by Secretary DANIELS for
preparedness az well as Improvement
Of the navy. increase Of the personnel
by 1900 e $500 apprentices and
1900 marines Is the most important.
While ostansibly 1t looks to the future
when more ships r completed. the
fact IL that We are short OF crews for
all those ships we now possess. The
Secretary's proposal that promotion
upon the vote Of senior officers he sub.
stituted for promotion by seniority,
Of which he has a small opinion, Is
sure to provoke opposition. Promotion
by seniority has its drawbacks, but
the President as Commander In Chief
may select his fighting admirals In
war time.
A pressing need Of the navy Is the
auxiliary merchant ship for war emer-
gencies. Mr.. DANIELS takes note Of 1t
by observing that 'the only certain
and satisfactory way is for the Gov
eminent to seize the opportunity Of
providing the necessary auxiliaries by
constructing ships for commercial uses
so built and manned as to give To the
navy ltS S1ocutidi REQUIREMENTS.
will please President WILSON and
Secretary MCADoo, but what will Con-
gress have to say about the precious
scheme?
The country will be with Mr.. DAN
y in his concern about the storing
Of reserve ammunition for war pur-
poses; In his Recommendation that the
Government no longer be almost en-
tlrely dependent upon private manu-
facturers for armor plate and war INA
terial generally In his insistence that
| ships be built more and more In the
Government yards, although we believe
| that competition should not be done
away with altogether; In his proposal
| for conservation Of oil, the future fuel
OF the navy. by the Government In
| his plan for the increase and improve
ment Of the naval militia In his sug-
gestion that the navy utilize civilian
aeronauts; and particularly In what
he has to say about the means Of
| adding officers to the service. Per-
haps the Secretary Is too much in
| cllned to think that the present navy
is ship for ship and man for IA the
| best of all possible navies. but his
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