New-York tribune., 1915-03-28
w (a'A'
OUR WATCH DOG.

transport one hospital SHIP one supply snip,
and S50O0000 for airships Congress voted
two feet submarines sixteen coast submarines,
one gunboat, and one hospital ship, and ST.,
100000 for airships. Even at that Congress
was more liberal than Mr. Daniels, who asked
for only two battleships, one sea-going sub
marine seven coast submarines, six destroyers,
one gunboat and one oil ship, and named no
specific amount for airships
MR.. DANIELS TROD TO DEATH ANGST
VALUABLE BIT OF LEGISLATION.
In order TO remedy the evil of divided and
inexpert military control the Naval Affairs
Committee of the House Of Representatives
sought to create Bureau of Naval Operations
in the Navy Department which was to perform
most OF the functions OF a general staff 1t
was to consist of chief and fifteen assistants,
directed to prepare general and detailed plans
for war. Although put under the Secretary Of
the Navy it was intended to give to it a weight
of authority which he could rot ignore. This
valuable piece of constructive legislation went
out on a point OF order in the Iouse. It was
renserted in the bill in the Senate, but when
the Conference Committee got through with it
it was so modified at Mr.. Daniels's request as
to make the Bureau OF Operations merely an
other subordinate department bureau. The
chief of operations may be a line officer of
rank as low as a captain; he will have no asso-
ciates, and will work absolutely under the d-
rection of the Secretary.
As the chairman of the House conferrees
neatly put it whe this worthless substitute
was reported to the House: The principle of
CIVILIAN control of the Navy Department is not
violated" The vicious status quo is retained.
Yet Secretary Daniels had the effrontery 10
say that he opposed giving any general staff
powers to the Bureau Of Operations because
of his high regard for the General Board OF
the Navy and his admiration for its work-an
admiration which he manifested at the begin
ming OF the last session OF congress by turn
ing down the boards recommendations in favor
OF some happy-go-lucky conclusions of his
own.
Thus great chance was lost to bring the
organization Of the navy into touch with mod
ern conditions AS slight Offset Congress at
last created naval reserve on which to draw
in time OF war for the purpose of supplying
grave deficiencies in the personnel
LARGE DEFICIENCY STILL REMAINS
IN THE ACTIVE LIST.
But. as Mr.. Neeser shows, there is still left
a deficiency of 1850 mcn in the active list.
Under the law the navys limit OF strength in
petty officers and enlisted men is 5l,5O0 But
10000 are required to man our ships and to
keep the feet as whole in proper condition
Of preparedness. In the judgment OF the Gen
eral Board we should have force sufficient
10 keep in full commission all the battleships
under fifteen years OF sge-from date OF au-
thorizaton, all the desuoyers and submarines
under twelve years OF age, half OF the cruisers,
all the gunboats md all the necessary auxil-
iaries. as we'll as to furnish nucleus crews TOR
all ships OF the navy and the necessary details
for the training and other shore stations. We
are still long way from attaining that reason
able minimum Of efficiency in personnel Secre-
tsry Danielss own aide for operations, Rear
Admiral Bradley A. Fiske. testified before the
House Committee on Naval Affairs last winter
that although it would take three years to get
the feet into condition to fight with the feet
of any other first class naval power it would
take FIVE years to get the personnel into proper
condition.