New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-01
GARDNER AGAIN
DECLARES NAVY
IS UNPREPARED
Says Daniels Fails to Meet
Assertions as to Real
Conditions.
FIGHTING SHIPS
BEHIND IN SPEED
Tells Taft Best Judges Believe
United States Navy Is made
ouate for Defence.

Washington, April 30.-A letter TO
ex-President Taft was made public here
to-day by Representative A. ?. Gard
ner, Of Massachusetts,. Il was written
by Mr.. Gardner in reply TO Secretary
Daniels's recent communication 70
President Garfield OF Williams College.
dealing with the preparedness OF the
navy. In this letter Mr.. Gardner says:
"1f President Garfield Of Williams
was looking for an answer 20 my as
sertions he was disappointed In the
course of his very long letter the Sec
rotary did not undertake 20 meet the
assertions which have made, although
he successfully met a good many as
sertions which I did not make-asser-
tions, by the way, which no one out
side a lunatic asylum would be likely
TO make.
For instance, the Secretary tri-
umphantly asserts and Overwhelmingly
proves that the American navy IS
larger and more abundantly equipped
than ever before. InAsmuch as the
American navy has not been at war for
seventeen years, and as the scrapheap
is almost unknown in our military sys-
tenn.
columns TO prove that our navy and It's
equipment must continue TO increase so
long as Congress continues 20 appro
pirate for them.
az assume that President Garfield,
like the rest Of Us, would have been
glad TO be told how our navy compares
in size and strength with foreign
navies. / doubt very much whether
he takes a consuming interest in a COM
parison between our navy as 1t IL under
President Wilson and our navy as 1t
was under President Taft, or even
under President Roosevelt-yet that IS
ali the comparison which was vouch-
safed in the Secretary's letter.
"While he was about IL, by the way.
don't you think that Mr.. Daniels might
perhaps have put that comparison IN
little clearer light? You Will observe
that in all matters he compares the
navy under the first two years OF Presl-
dent Wilson's administration with the
navy under the last two years OF your
administration. Perhaps l ought not
10 criticise a Cabinet officer, but to an
ordinary mudlark Congressman like my
self IL really seems as If the comparl-
son might have been a little less mis-
leading if the Secretary had pointed
out the fact that in the last two years
of YOUR administration the purse
strings were held by a Democratic
House of Representatives
Inferiority Increasing.
perhaps President Garfield might
also have been interested TO learn
whether or not our naval experts think
our navy sufficient for our defence.
To the average sordid mind like my
own that really seems a more i'm
nortant question than whether our
present deplorable condition is the
fault of Mr.. Meyer or Mr.. Daniels, or
the Archangel Gabriel Yet / can find
no word in the Secretary's letter which
reveals the fact that his official coun-
ell of advisers, the General Board OF
the navy, has solemnly warned HIM
that our lack of naval policy has placed
us in a position Of inferiorlty TO Tor
eign nations and that that inferiority
is continually on the increase.
"If President Garfield is like the rest
Of us. he probably will be glad TO learn
whether or not our fighting ships meet
modern conditions as 20 speed, whether
or not our aircraft have kept pace with
the improvements in the air fleets OF
the rest Of the word, and whether OF
not our mines, torpedoes and ammuni,
zion are sufficient in the judgment OF
the ordnance officers Of the navy.
think you will agree with me that 3
definite statement on these points Will
be more profitable than discussion as
TO whether II Is a republican aoihlh'
istration or a Democratic admlnlstra-
tion that is most TO blame for the fact
that we are so deplorably behind the
times. Yet, unless / am very much
mistaken, the Secretary says not one
word about the all-important question
Of the speed. or rather lack or speed
of our fighting ships. lie tells us tha'
the situation as 10 mines and torpedoes
and ammunition has vastly improved
which is, Of course, the case; but ne
denies us definite figures as likely to
betray important naval secrets.
THE question of our readiness foi
war with an efficient enemy Is worth
discussing at some length. The Secrs
tary's mere assertion that our ships
were in a position 20 make brave
showing against the Mexican navy anC
The southwest wind at Vera Cruz vii
not stand for one moment agalnst 'h'
positiye views as TO our unreadlnes'
for war expressed by Commander Var
nell and Admiral Fiske, chief OF opera
tions Of the feet
"Some Of the particular assertions
which | have heretofore made, anc
which the ScCitNtIy ShNiic'y 'N~'N" N'
answered, are these;
"Relative strength of our navy.
invite your attention 70 the fact thai
on the first of July, 1914, before tho
European war broke out, our navy mac
sallen 10 fourth place, according u
mr. own official figures. AT that time
the warship tonnage of Germany, built
and building, had grown 70 over 1890,
oO0 tons, while ours was less thar
ooO 200 tons. Meanwhile, the warshiI
tonrage Of Great Britain, built anc
hui,ding. was 500 900 tons larger thar
that of Germany and the United States
rombined. Even France was LITTLE
ahead Of US. Even admitting that war
shin tonnage is not an exact method o.
measurement. our standing cannot b'
much improved by any other method.
III assert that on July !, 1914, Grc2'
Britain had forty-six dreadnoughts anC
dreadnought cruisers, built and build
ing. while Germany's vessels OF th'
same description numbered twenty
eight and ours numbered only twelve
Most OF our battleships, unfortunately
are old-fashioned pre-dreadnoughts.
Inadequate for Defence.
"Are we strong enough? II is thu
oninion Of those best able TO judge
that our navy is totally inadequate fol
our defence. As you know very well
the General Board Of the navy is 10
dav. and always has been, composed
~ The very best naval officers IN th'
serviee. Ever since 1908 the Genera
Hoard has declared that we must have
<nrf,.eight battleships less. than TWEEN
81 years old in order TO make US sai'
.;rst the navy Of Germany or any