New Britain herald., 1915-04-26
navy RECRUITED TO
MAXIMUM STRENGTH
EQuipDed Better Than Ever Before,
Says Secretary Daniels.

Washington, April 26.-Secretary
Daniels last night made public a let
ter he has written to President Gar
field of Williams college, detailing the
work in the navy during the last two
years. Mr.. Daniels wrote in reply to
Mr.. Garfield's request for material to
meet statements that the United
States is unprepared for military
emergencies.
After stating that there are now in
active service 225 vessels of all char
acters, which is thirty-six more than
were fully commissioned two years
ago; that the quantity of ammunition,
torpedoes, mines and other imple-
ments of naval warfare have been
steadily and greatly increased; that
the navy today is recruited to 1 the
maximum strength allowed, the Sec
rotary says:
MY professional training as a jour-
nalist has always inclined me to the
conviction that any officer, within the
prescribed limits. recognized in the
navy. should feel free to express his
opinion in regard to matters in the
who commands a ship today who
could or would say that his ship, with
out or within, was not as good as it
was two years ago, or that the Off
GERS who command it and the crews
who man it, are not as thoroughly
disciplined, sober, loyal and efficient
as they were two years ago, or as
they ever had been.
Exercised Last January
For many years." he says, off
GERS have written and talked about
the formation of advance, base mater
ial and the practice of landing par
ties of seamen and marines in the
use Of this important adjunct to naval
warfare. Congress appropriated mon
ey for this important plan of cam
paign, but never until January Of last
year was the navy thus exercised.
During the last two years of the
Taft administration" he says, ICON
gress authorized the construction of
two dreadnaughts to cost about $13,-
100000 each. During the first two
years of the Wilson administration,
upon my recommendation, congress
authorized the construction of five
dreadnaughts to cost about $4,000
son administration, in it's first two
years, authorized $70,0O0,OOO to be
spent on the chief fighting force Of
the navy as against $26,00O,OOO au-
thorized during the, last two years of
Tafts; stated in bers, it author
lied five dreadnaughts instead of two;
and stated in effectiveness the five
dreadnaughts authorized under Will
son will mount thirty-six more four
teen-inch guns than the two author
lied under Mr.. Taft
Many Submarines Authorized.
AS to submarines, Mr.. Daniels says
congress has authorized three sea-
going submarines, the largest ever
authorized by any country and twenty
three of the type which have done
such fearful execution in the present
war These will cost $4,000, 700.
This compares with twelve subma-
rines, to cost $7,95S,936, authorized
under the Taft administration.
The secretary says it would not
be proper to make public the number
of torpedoes on hand, but he says that
much may be said: For every one
hundred torpedoes which the depart
ment had on hand in March 1911
ninety-six. more are completed or in
course of manufacture. Therefore
within few months, the supply of
torpedoes will be almost doubled.
Upon my recomm dalton, congress
has enlarged the torpedo plant at