The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-09-02
NAVY IS UNSURPASSED.
Daniels Tells Governors it is for Peo-
pie to Say How Great it Shall Be.

Boston, August PA navy stead
lily increased in size and efficiency so
that it will be ready to defend the
country against attack from any
quarter, is the aim Of Secretary Dan
iels. This he declared before the
governors conference today at an
adjourned session on board the flag
ship Wyoming of the North Atlantic
fleet in Massa chusetts Bay.
For two hours the secretary stood
on the bridge of the flagship while
Admiral Fletcher put the fleet
through manoeuvres illustrating at
tack and defence. Then he joined
the governors in the admiral's cabin
and told them why he had made
them his guests for the afternoon.
''The navy must abide in the
hearts of the whole country if it is
to be strong and powerful and made
great" the secretary said. 1T is for
the people, not the president or my
self, to say how great it shall be. AS
you go to your homes you will speak
the word that will help to determine
this question.
''The greatest things that the navy
is doing are not heralded. Since the
war began there is not an officer in
any department of the navy who has
not taken advantage of it's lessons.
Experiments are proceeding day and
night, and today in every element
our navy has no superior in the
world. We do have superiors in size
and numbers, and it is for us to con-
tinue to strengthen our navy.
81 believe we ought to increase
our navy steadily so that in times OF
stress and emergency the real first
strong arm of our country will be
ready to defend our country if it is
attacked from any quarter
The Wyoming picked up the gov
ernors at the Charlestown navy yard,
and, taking a position few miles
east of Boston light, became the tar
get of attack by twenty-five torpedo
destroyers, after they had passed in
review with ten battleships. After
the review appeared to have been
ended the destroyers suddenly reap
peared. On the flagship general
alarm against torpedo attack was
sounded and soon the big guns of
the Wyoming began to fire blank
shots at the on rushing destroyers.
The destroyers circled the flagship,
pouring forth dense volumes of
smoke made by excessive use of oil.
Soon the destroyers were hidden be-
hind the cloud. The screen sudden
ly was broken by the destroyer Am
men, which was observed dashing
head-on for the Wyoming. The bat
tleship's guns Immediately were
trained on the attacking ship and
thundered away. The destroyer,
however, came on and when she had
approached within 5000 yards dis
charged a torpedo.
The missile was seen to strike the
water and then, submerged, made it's
way towards the flagship. The latter,
however, on the instant had been
put slightly ito starboard, under a
full head of steam and the speeding
torpedo passed a few feet astern.
theoretically the attack by the de-
stroyers was countered and they
withdrew.
After these exercises Secretary
Daniels met with the governors and
made his address. Late in the after
noon the party left in launches for
Gloucester, where they stopped for
a moment at the home Of John Hays
Hammond. Thence they went in au-
tomobiles to the Eastern Yacht club,
at Marble Head, where they were en-
tertained at dinner by the Boston
Chamber of Commerce.
Secretary Daniels responded to a
toast to President Wilson, paying a
high tribute to the executive and de-
claring that the president had left
nothing undone to put the country in
a proper condition of defence.
Sold