Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-26

| the construction of navy craft a.
| this Is being done while at the son,s
time there is a big decrease in annra
! priations ashore. BY securing conn.,
tition ! saved $1,0772l0 In one can.
tract for projectiles. Up to date ~.
| first rejecting all bids and demondlas
more reasonable figures ] have save9
Sl,ll0,0OO in the purchase of armos
plate, securing lower prices than ,s,
predecessor secured In two n,knss
bureaus alone last year. 81 S0o ma
was saved--more than enough r. ivy
able congress to reappropriate ona
million of the savings for aviation an5
the balance for submarines. Tbera
has been the same character of sot
ings IN other ways--too many ftcr,.
to enumerate. So much for tho me-
terial and preparation. OF course ero
need constantly to increase the shlns
and armament, but the Increase i'm th'
past two years, larger than I'm any nrs
vlous two years In the history of ~
country, Is an earnest Of the abttt ~
the department afloat and ashore =.
meet an urgent cali. Its fleytbutt,
was shown in adjusting itself ia aa
tirely new and unexpected sltuatioa,
as well as its remarkable adapitahitit
in handling every problem pragentoS
to IT,
Personnel Is Important.
but of what worth is a shin with
out well-trained men? What bos tho
Wilson administration done ms to
personnel 1t is a pleasure To tell von
that for the first time in years the
enlistment is up to the limit prescrih.
ed by law and part of the wear we.
have had a waiting list. Since be.
came secretary of the navy We have
increased the enlistment 5,S24 men.
enabling us to commission fully
twenty submarines, four battleshins
four destroyers, six gun boats. one
battleship six cruisers ana threo
monitors, increasing the total number
of commissioned vessels by forty-one
over the number commissioned an
March l, 1918, regard this as a great
achievement. particularly since the
navy had not formerly been able Ia
secure enough men to fill the quota.
II has been secured, too, without LET
ting down the standard for admission
which has been maintained and even
raised For every recruit accepted
five have been rejected because thev
did not come up to our high standard
To what is the increase of our enlist
ment attributed? The answer is easy.
TO the establishment of schools ON
portunity to sec the world and for
promotion afforded enlisted men hith-
efto denied them. In these two years
thirteen enlisted men have been an
pointed as assistant paymasters; live
us mldshipmen at Annapolis and
twelve as ensigns II Is true that prior
10 the Wilson administration il was
possible for an enlisted man to be
promoted to he ensign, but In the
four years Of the Taft administration
only three were promoted, while in
the two years of the Wilson admins
tration eleven have qualified.
How does this happen2 The new
bolicy Of education and assistance
was put into operation in 1913. Now
every ambitious and aspiring young
enlisted man is given special instruc-
ton when he desires it. Upon my
recommendation, congress passed an
act which gives all the positions Of
pay clerk to those enlisted men who
can qualify. This opens 200 more
places to enlisted men. 1t Is true to-
day as never before that boy may
enlist in the navy and by the display
of ability, be promoted to the grade
of admiral. Not only has the enlist
recruits, but congress gave us the
best reserve bill any nation ever put
upon the statute books. While re-en-
listments have increased II per cent.
assertions have decreased II per cent
Another incentive to enlistment is
the new policy which leaves an open
door to young men to retire from
the navy other than through the door
of the prison; and likewise the mod
ern methods of treating men who
have violated rules.
Assistance of Experts.
With special emphasis. | beg You
to ask any Well informed man In or
out of the service as to the ability
and capacity of the various officers
whom | have called as advisors and
To the heads of the bureaus. You will
find that the man selected in each
bureau is recognized. both in our
own and foreign nayies as an able
expert in his line.
"One word more: For years there
has been an unsuccessful insistence
that congress should re-establish the
grades of admiral and vice admiral
4 earnestly urged the congress to
create those positions. 1t authorized
three of each. Now American naval
while abroad, will no longer
pc outranked by officers of nations
with insignificant navies.
Il have answered your questions at
some length. There are two reasons
.or the length of my letter;
First Because these two years
lave been epoch-making in the navy,
by more wise and pro-
;ressive naval legislation and more
achievement than any pre-
'ious like period (thanks chiefly to Il
patriotic congress) and
'Second-Because certain persons,
snorant of their ignorance, and for
selfish partisan reasons have busted
themselves with the misrepresentng
he true conditions of the navy, there
~ causing some good people to fear
nat the navy is not as in the past,
he strong effective right arm of the
'epublic. All who would learn the
ruth may be assured that the navy
VI 1915 is larger better equipped and
n better condition than in any pre-
nous year, and that the fleet is be-
coming more efficient with every
passing month. We shall take leave
o he strong upon the sea in the flu
ufe as in the past, declared Presi-
lent Wilson in his message to con
'ress and in the interest of the self
expecting peace which is the only
'eace worth preparing for it is de-
.outly to be hoped that this strength
nay not be questioned by others or
Endangered from within.
The record above outlined, shows
hat what he promised for the navy,
las been fulfilled.
Sincerely yours
'JOSEPHUS DANIELS,
secretary of the Navy.