The Washington times., 1915-04-11
STERLING SLATED TO
WALK NAWPLANK"
DECLARES GARDNER
Congressman in Sizzling Speech
Attacks Secretary Daniels
Administration.

| Charging President Wilson with or
dering the Joint army and navy board
not to meet again when that board
presented him with facts concerning
Iunpreparedness to deal with possible
trouble in the Pacific. praising highly
the course Of Rear Admiral Fiske in
lresigning his post, and predicting that
Commander Yates Stirling, jr.. would
| be the next to walk the plank" Con-
gressman Augustus p. Gardner of
Massachusetts delivered a bristling
and sizzling speech at his dinner for
the United States reserve army" last
Ievening
Nine of the. sixteen men in the
each carrying a flag. with the inscrip-
ton, I'VE are the reserve army; sig
teen men They were divided Int Into
| The odd man acted as rear guard.
They withstood the assault Of camera
men and were greeted by Mr.. Gardner.
Then they entered an automobile.
visited the Capitol, ran up the Ave
nue. to the White House. stopped at
the War Department, but found Sec,
| had ii impressed upon them at Arling-
ton that the nation has more dead
soldiers than live ones. At the Ma
welcomed by President Frank Lord.
and inscribed their names on the
guest book.
Springs Some Surprise.
For the dinner at the blue room of
the New Willard Congressman Gard
ner had promised some "surprising
.. remarks" And he made good his
promise.
| He launched into severe criticism
OF Secretary Daniels for dis admins
tration of the Navy Department.
After all. why should we blame
Secretary Daniels" he said, for fol-
lowing the example which Is set him
|by the Commander-in-Ch Chief"
! Congressman Gardner then made his
! charge that the President had ignored
the recommcnda of the joint
board. and had seen to il that the
| board should not cause further trou-
Bile.
About year ago" the Congress
people there was serious danger OF
| international trouble in the Pacific
ocean. At the time a joint board COM
posed Of the highest army officers
| existence. 1t met to consider what
| ought to be done in an emergency.
| The members OF the board went be-
| fore the President with reCommen-
| dation that certain precautions should
| be Immediately taken. The President
| y
of these distinguished officers. and
peremptorily forbade the board TO
| meet again. II this statement OF mine
is denied I challenge the President
to permit a public investigation"
Called "Gruesome Comment"
| Assistant Secretary OF the Navy
| Roosevelt, as well as Admiral Fiske
and Commander Stirling were COM
mended for their statements before
the House Naval Committee. The sink
| ing OF the F-4 was characterized as a
| "gruesome comment on Secretary
! Daniels neglect Of our submarines"
! Commander Stirling may expect
trouble, the speaker said, because he
ICalled attention to the condition of
the submarine fotilla OF the Atlantic
| feet
II state it as a fact" Mr.. Gardner
continued, That on December .. 1914.
Josephus Daniels. Secretary of the
Navy. administered a sting ing rebu ke
to Commander Stirling because he
calledethe attention OF the. Navy De
land ! challenge the said Josephus
Daniels to publish the letter"
! Each member of the army made. a
Nepker5 William ,Boriskin. Thomss s
tino, Hugo L.. Anderson, Morris Bor.-
kin, Isaac Sohn. and J0hn Caramali.
! The ahsentees were william ]. Will
liams and Joseph StrHm,, both Of San
apolis; Victor Vegas Porte Ricoo;
Kylen, New York. and William
Schweigert. Brooklyn.