The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-26
Policy Not to Abandon Any But to
Put Each to the Uses for
Whch 1t Is Best Adapted

severe criticism because, II is said. no
battleship can enter IL. Certainly no
hostile one can, for ii IL within TIM
Golden Gate, nearly thirty miles from
the sea, and safe from gunfre up
torpedo attack. The depth Of water
in the channel when 1t was selected
was ample for any vessel OF that tim.
1850, but the great size Of the mod.
ern battleship will not permit the safe
entry of one through the prescr,
channel, which is now being deepenos
to admit vessels Of any draugh;. The
Government Is now constructing rns,
oil ships and a supply ship.
At one time the navy yards al
Charleston, New Orleans and Icpsa.
cola were closed, leaving only tho
small naval stations at Port Rova,
and Key West for the relief Of any
of our ships in distress in Southern
waters. The valuable machinery and
buildings in these stations were DO.
teriorating and the paved streets were
with grass. The Depart.
ment's policy has been to reopen those
stations, utilizing them only for espe.
cial purposes. but keeping them IN
such condition that IL military con.
ditions require 1t they can speedily I've
converted into active yards.
The navy's need for aeroplancs has
recently been the subject Of much
comment and the Department is now
experimenting and testing the var
Gus kinds which have been Offered
There must be a place where the
hydroaeroplane. which rises from
the water. "a he tested. where d.,
aviators and observers who are 20
handle them may be trained. and in
all the country there is no place where
conditions are better for these teS's
than Pensacola, and there the De-.
partment has stationed the ]aerOnautlc
corps.
Charleston has a hard Channe, with
a shifting bar. II is hardly available
for big ships. but IL is the best 'ora.
tion on the coast between Norfolk ard
Key West. Destroyers can always on
! ter. 20 II has been made the place Z
refuge for those boats and has 81
the special machinery and supIsios
required for that Indispensable class =
speed boat; the d~estroyers in reserve
are stationed there. II Is easy { so.
va " FNlllN WI Ailt b'NN 'pAlNl E''Nl~
at Charleston. So the Department has
converted some of the older building
into factories and makes there all tho
cotton clothing required for the use o..
the navy.
With the abandonment Of Pensacola
rs an active yard the Gulf was lof'
without a station, So the one at Sew
Orleans was cleaned up. the rus
cleared from the machinery and m.
yard put In working order. Very .trs,
boats cannot reach it; but 1t is AVA,
able for all lighter draught gunboa's
destr0yers and submarines, and /.
equipped to do all mannc Of rcva
work upon them. 1t - cheaper To son,
gunboats on duty in the West Ind q"
10 New orleans for repairs thar {
Portsmouth,. y. II.
In addition to these yards. the br
portment .sS raining stations a.
Newport. K. l.; N the california COZ,
and on the Great Lakes. II maintt p.
the Naval Proving Ground. the NJ 4
Academy AT Annapolis and the torpeI
station at Newport, where tOruod ..
are completed. and where the cNl,r
mentS are conducted which have N.'
us a torpedo and mines al least o.,,
to any in Use 10y the European prN'-,
Nj. Roosevelt believes there. j. ,,
!, Of a base on the Pacific CoaS; a. ~.u
point near the southern point 90 g..
!, forn!a, which j. more than -" r
4 from the Mare Island yard l' :
: Francisco. and that to complete
chain n stronger yard should b. Wu.
r tanned at guantanamo.