The Washington times., 1915-12-25
LamentabIe Weakness Claimed
in United States Naval En-
gineering Forces.
MEN OF, LIMITED EXPERIENCE
Present System Puts Valuable
Warships in Hands Of Un-
trained |.

IemenLa bic weakness IN tic navy Win
resrect to an ndcrua,c e,rplN : ""m-
petcnt .oneinee ~ill IN all pr"hath'tN.
lie disclosed hcfore the House and Sen
atc Naval h"airs Committees THIS
winter
LEGISLATION 10 remedy condition "'
things which is giving much worry and
anxiety to Secretary Daniels an! hiGh
navy officers Is likely 10 rcsGf. IN 'Hct,
one OF the features of tho Legislation |"
enhance the preparedness Of the navy
is likely 10 be measure 10 strengthen
tho naval engineering forces.
President Wilson himself IL CVGnizant
Of the need oG tho navy for better e.
sineers. He made this plain IN hiS an
nuaI message when he asked t'' a.
thoritv to appoint competent graduates
Of approved engine"ruC colleges y"
commissions in the navy fcr eng neer-
ing duties only.
In other WORDS, the President. in o.
der 10 remedy present conditions IN tn"
navy. wants to draw engineer officers
from some Of tho Lor-notch technical
schools of the country. In this he ~
backed BY SccrctnI.' Daniels md he
will have strong support in the naNal
committees.
Navy Engineer Corps.
u is expected that an effort vii he
made to establish an engineer corns in
the ma y. Back in 1892 the engineer
corps vas abolished. Under TIE present
system. officers Of the line are detailed
to duty in the engine rooms "f the
%arships. The result Is. n"cortInG I"
the evIderre OF those who Hro familiar
with the situation. that the WarshiDs are
ir The ha nds OF engineering officers VINO
IRE indifferent to their duties. That -,
tho are not engineering officers at ell
but simply line officers. detailed tempo
rarilv to engineer ,ng duty.
The explosion on tho San Deco some
months ago. ending in court -r-nrtial
prorredinr is on oCCHrrcrcc which hes
served to emphasize the sort Of "nCi-
reCrinC TO which warshtrs ARE SoN"-
limos subjected. Stories are told Of
ha'tleships in the hand. nr enCineer
officers OF limited experience Witch VIII
make an ,lproar in Congress Il aired in
| thai body.
The result Of tho present system.
which leaves tho narY without dis,
tinct engineering corps, is felt IN that
Il often olts valuable warshiDs. . an
uperdrcadrauCh in tho hands of on
einecring Officers who arc not nj" nIV
trained men ir the emEineort0T I'D nut
that II tends to deprive tn" navy OF
crack dosiGnins engineers.
Navy Behind Times.
SfOWlng from inns ibth w an tlt'ltd Z
force OF the best designing engineers, il
Is asserted the navy is behind the times
in it's knowledge Of the turbine and
! the Diesel engine.
That something Is wronc in the navy
engineering force is at least strongly in
diCated by the fe"t that the department
s asking Congress for 81 900 900 to over
haul the turbines Of the North Dakota
and three smaller craft.
That President Wilson has been ap-
prised by Secretary Daniels Of the facts
! and OF the need of building UP n strong
, body OF engineers in the service is the
mes ming of his recommendation in his
message, that engineer officers he
drawn from engineering schools. IF this
is done. II Is not doubted the navy will
make drafts on the talent OF the
Country's best technical institutions
When the naval committees get n
grinding. they are likely to prod navy
! officials with sharp questions calculated
to bring out whether II is not true that
the navy Is behind other great naVies
in turbine DEVELOPMENT and development
Of engines for submarine and aerial use.