The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-05-20
SAYS OUR NAVY IS STRONG
DANIELS ANSWERS NATIONAL
SECURITY LEAGUE.
Enterin" New Era of Progress Sucl1
as Navy Has Never known
Before.

New York. May lJ.-O!icerS OF tie
Atlantic fleet gathered here tonight
at dinner in their honor heard Sec
retarv Josephus Daniels defend the
navy as efficient and prepared for
war and promise that the admlnlstra-
ton, with the support of the people,
would make it more powerful and
efficient. Mr.. Daniels answered the
navy's critics, particularly the Nation
al Security league. which recently
made public an open letter declaring
that investigation disclosed that the
navy was inadequate and unprepared
for war.
with the praise of a great city
ringing in our ears" said the secre-
tary, with our mighty ships in all
their splendid strength lying just out
side; in this hour of natural and
pardonable exultation in our great
navy. as the head of that navy | feel
it right to utter word Of warning
lest we forget to those who feel in
clined to rest too sure on this visible
and outward display of our strength
and at the same time to speak a
word of promise and cheer to those
who. perhaps, have looked too de-
spondently upon the task that still
lies before us in our efforts to reach
as near as possible to perfection.
Try to Make 1t Better.
"Our navy is good; it is not good
enough. With your help, as long as
I am secretary of the navy, we Will
all trv to make it better. The navy
is strong; it is not strong enough
With the help of the whole American
people, with the help of a congress
and an administration thoroughly
committed to the policy of taking
leave to be strong upon the seas we
will make it stronger. This review
is not the end of century's labors.
We do not here exhibit our COM
pleted work. Rather, We here begin
a new era, supported by the chief
executive and by an enlightened and
progressive congress, which gave evil
dence of it's faith in strong navy
BY the passage Of the best navy bill
in the history of your country.
1--WE are entering upon an era OF
progress such as the navy has never
known before, whose keynote will be
onward and whose watchword will be
forward-an era marked by the lift
ing of our navy out of politics and by
the subordination Of all things af1oat
or ashore TO the efficiency of the fleet
in order that by our very strength
we may be able to demand the right
to live at peace with all the world.
Wall of the Pessimist-
"You have seen-and lately you
have heard far too much-of the pet
rified pessimist who visits one of our
leviathians of power with sour and
disappointed visage, looking for some
thing upon which he can hang tale
of woe and wall jeremiad.
1.-The navy and it's head have been
a target of much criticism of late,
some from those honest in their bel
iefs. but sadly ignorant or misin-
formed, and much from purely parti-
san and political sources which had
no interest in facts whatever. AS for
such criticisms as concerned myself
I have kept silent. Time must Justl-
fy, or time condemn.
1.-The splendid condition Of the
ships for which you are responsible;
the splendid discipline of the crews
which you have established, make to-
day a far better answer than any
thing could be able to say. AS they
ride tonight at their anchors on the
river let them stand as their own
spokesmen. and l rejoice that it is
my pleasure to greet here tonight the
commander-in-chief of the Atlantic
feet, Admiral Fletcher.
"A few days ago new organlza-
ton bearing the name Of the Nation
al Security league, issued an open
letter announcing the result OF in
vestigations,' and published to the
world this statement:
Investigation discloses it is as
serted, that the navy is neither ade-
quate nor prepared for war; that it
is inadequately manned, is short OF
ammunition and has no organized re-
serve of trained men; the submarine
aotilla 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
altogether omitted
Had They known Truth.
"If the gentlemen who signed the
above libel of the navy had known