Omaha daily bee., 1915-05-16
DANIELS ANSWERS
CRITICS OF NAVY
Secretary Says it is Strong, Eff
cient, Well Supplied with Am
munition and Growing.
PEsSIMISTs ARE DENOUNCED

NEW YORK May. 15.--Officers
or the Atlantic fleet gathered here
tonight at a dinner in their honor
and heard Secretary Josephus Dam
iels defend the navy zs s'fiicient and
prepared for war, and promise that
the administration, with the support
OF the American people. would make
1t more powerful and more efficient
Mr.. Daniels answered the nayy's
critics, particularly the National Sc
curity league, which recently made
public an open letter declaring that
investigation disclosed that the
navy was inadequate and unpre-
pared for war.
"our navy is good; it is not good
enough" said the secretary. with your
help. as long as L am secretary of the
navy, we will all try TO make 1t better.
The navy is strong; it is not strong
enough. With the help of the whole
American people with the help of con-
gress and an administration thoroughly
committed to the policy Of taking leave
to be strong upon the seas, we will
make it stronger.
Attitude of Pessimists.
you have seen-and lately you have
heard far too much of the ipetrified
pessimists. who visits one of our levia-
thans OF power with a sour and disap-
pointed visase. looking for something
upon which he can hang tale of woe
TRaII hot
New York is at once a source of pride
and protection, and he tells you that
so long as VIC have not as many New
Yorks as all the nations of the earth
combined, 1t is worthless. Point out that
flotilla of American submarines re-
Gently made one of the longest continu-
GUS runs on record, and he sighs a deep
sigh and his only comment Is, but we
ought to have-and build them before
breakfast tomorrow-as many as the
three biggest European nations COM
bined.
'"rhe navy and its head have been the
target of much criticism OF late, some
from those honest in their belief, but
sadly ignorant or misinformed, and much
from purely partisan and political sources
which had no interest in facts whatever.
AS for such criticism as concerned my
self have kept silent. Time must
justify, or time condemn. The splendid
condition OF the ships for which you are
responsible. the splendid discipline Of the
crews which you have established, make
today far better answer than anything
l could have been able TO say As they
ride tonight at their anchors on the
river. let them stand as their own spokes-
men. and / rejoice that II is my pleasure
to greet here tonight the commander
in-chief Of the Atlantic fleet. Admiral
Aletcher.
National Security Named.
"A fcy days ago new organization.
bearing the name Of National Security
league, issued an open letter announcing
the result OF investigations and published
to the world this statement:
Investigation discloses. It is asserted,
that the navy is neither adequate nor
prepared for war; that it ia inadequately
manned, Is short OF ammunition and has
no organized reserve of trained men, that
the submarine flotiIla exists chiefly ON
paper, that fast scout cruisers, battle |
cruisers. aeroplanes. mine layers. supply
ships and transports are lacking, and that !
target practice has been neglected or al !
together omitted.
Facts I'm the Case.
III the gentlemen who signed the above !
libel Of the navy had known the real |
truth, their signatures would never have |
been appended. II they had not been |
nisled and misinformed, they would have |
written instead
90 investigation diseioses that the navy |
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