The Washington times., 1915-04-26
Secretary, in Long Review Of
Administration, Declares
Fleet Is in Good Shape.
"BETTER NOW THAN EVER"
Defense of Uncle Sans Sea
Forces Made to Head OFF
Effects Of Criticisms.


and others who have criticised the un-
preparedness of the navy. Secretary Of
the Navy Daniels has issued long
review Of his period Of administration
Of the navy. and in this endeSvors to
show that the navy is in good shape.
The statement of Secretary Daniels
Is in the form of a letter to Harry A.
Garfield. president OF Williams College.
who wrote to M Daniels that he
wished to be in position to meet the
statements Of Mr.. Gardner.
Secretary Daniels asserts the last two
years have been epoch-making In the
navy. marked by more wise end pro-
gressive naval legislation and more
practical achievement than any previous
like period. He gives the credit largely
to patriotic Congress
Better Than Ever.
"All who would learn the truth" says
Secretary Daniels. may be assured
that the navy in 1915 Is larger. better
equipped and in better condition than
in any previous year and that the fleet
is becoming more efficient with every
passing month"
The defense Of Secretary Daniels deals
rather with material and personnel
than with organization. One Of the
chief points Of attack on the navy has
been that it was utterly unorganized
for war.
In the course of his. statement, Mr..
Daniels says:
There is now in active service, fully
commissioned, 2e5 vessels Of all charac-
ters. which is thrty-six more than were
fully commissioned when became Sec
retary. There are also 101 vessels Of
various types. in reserve and In ordi-
nary and uncommissioned. capable Of
rendering service in war We have un-
der construction and authorized seventy
seven vessels, nine dreadnaughts, twen-
ty-three destroyers. thirty-eight sub
pared with fifty-four vessels, five
dreadnaughts. fourteen destroyers,
tWenty-three submarines three gunboats.
and nine auxiliaries which were under
construction on March /. 1918.
Supplied With Munitions. :
"All the vessels enumerated are sup
piled with munitions of war. No navy
makes public the quantity. Of ammuni-
ton and torpedoes. mines, and other
implements of naval warfare which it
keeps ready. 1t may ue said, however.
that within the last two years the
quantity of all has been steadily ana
greatly increased. For example. we
have increased the number of mines on
hand and in process of manufacture. by
pa per cent. With reference to torpe-
does. the increase in two years has been
% per cent. By the enlargement or
the naval powder factory we shall soon
be able almost to double its former ca
pacity. and like ENLARGEMENT of the tor
pedo works and the equipment OF
plant to construct mines will still fur
ther increase. at decreased cost. the
quantity of such stock and the posses
sion OF these plants in tmsS of emer-
gency will enable the department to
be in a better state of preparedness as
regards the supply of ammunition than
ever before
Has Full Strength.
Secretary Daniels then proceeds to
cover much of the navy field In his de-
fense. He says the navy is recruited to
it's full strength and has l. per cent
more mon on duty with it now than In
March, 1913. He denies that keeping
the ships in Vera Cruz waters impaired
their efficiency and says the fleet got
real experience there under war con-
ditions. He says further:
During the last two years of the
TAFT Administration Congress author
lied the construction Of two dread
naughts to cost about $1,000 900 each.
During the first two years OF the WILL
sor Administration. upon my recon-
construction of five dreadnaughts. to
cost about s14 900 600 each. The Wilson
Administration, in its first two years.
authorized $70,0Oo,0o0 to be spent on the
against s26,ooO,O 900 authorized during the
last two years of Taft's; 1t authorized
five dreadnaughts instead OF two. and
stated in effectiveness the FIVE dread
naughts authorized under Wilson will
mount thirty-siX more 14-inch guns than
the two authorized under Mr.. Taft.
Money For Submarines.
AS to submarines the Sixty-third
Congress, elected with Wilson. adopted
my recommendation to give us all the
money it could for submarines. 1t or
dered the construction of three sea-go-
ing submarines, the largest ever au-
| thorized by any country. and twenty,
three submarines of the same size and
type which have done such fearful eX-
ecution in the present war. Under the
Taft Administration twelve submarines
were authorized. Nobody has yet per
| fected a satisfactory engine or satsrac-
tory battery for submarines
Upon my invitation, Mr.. Edison last
year went down into submarine and
| closely studied its every feature. He
| thinks he has a battery that VIII NEE,
the need. Our tests at the Brooklyn navy
ward cause us to believe Mr.. Edison
has the right principle. Without waiting
| for the completion of his battery. he has
been given an, order for two-one to be
put into an old submarine, whose bat
| terry does not give satisfaction, and ont
for new submarine which ! have or,
dered built at the Portsmouth On. II.
navy yard. Private firms building SUBJ
marines have not given entire satisfac
ton. We have equipped the Portsmouth
navy yard to build submarines. and b.
| competition between Government anC
private construction 1t Is hoped tina
ey cry obstacle may be overcome
Plan For Aviation.
Secretary Daniels claims credit for tn
fact Congress has adopted at his sug
gestion plan for development of avia
ton in the navy. He seeks to shov
that his administration has reduced ex
penditures on shore and increased then
afioat
! lie says five additional navy yard
have been equipped or are being equip
ped for construction of navy craft. an
refers to laTge savings on armor plat
and protectiles by compelling competi