Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-26

tirely new and unexpected situations,
rs we'll as Its remarkable adaptability
In handling every problem presented
to II.
BEST SCHOOL FOR WAR
IS WAR ITSELF
1T must be conceded by all that tho
best school and preparation for war
is war itself. and 1t was almost under
this condition that our fleet acted In
, proceeding almost in Il day to Mexican
waters. Tho stay at Vera Cruz. how
ever. did not prevent practice, for tho
| ships. individually or In divisions, dur
Ing n great part Of the time held tacti-
cal maneuvers. torpedo-proving prac-
tice and subcaliber drills In prepara-
| tion for target practice.
| For many years officers have writ
ten and talked about the formation of
advance base material and the prac-
tice of exercising landing parties of
seamen and marines In tho use OF this
| important adjunct to naval warfare.
Congress appropriated money for this
| important plan of campaign. but never
until January OF last year was the navy
| thus exercised. There had been plenty
OF talk, but not until January OF last
year was 1t undertaken. Then, under
| instructions from tho department. Adj
miral Badger carried out n comprchen-
| sive exercise in which the professional
! advantages gained by officers and men
wcre incstimablc. Three months after
this extensive practice had been given
for the first time in our navy, the Same
! fleet and the Same men were called
upon TO land at Vera Cruz, and in the
| taking of that city the navy carried
| out under fro what had been learned
at Culebra.
| These details arc given because
| every man knows that the efficiency of
the navy depends upon constant >prac-
| tfcc. but nobody in the navy thinks
anything like perfection has been
reached. and constant study and work
are pursued with the aim OF continued
Improvement. If the fleet was efficient
| In any degree before Admirals Badger
and Fletcher carried out the drills thus
detailed, 1t is much moro efficient to-
day. and It will be made more ready
every year. All that capable and
| trained officers and men can do to &C
complish this steady Improvement Is
| being done. Only the uniformed or
| the partisan deny the steady improve
| ment OF the past two years, thanks
chiefly TO Rear Admiral Badger and
Admiral Fletcher.
But, you say. how about equipment
and preparation for military emergcn-
cies? What has been done since VIII
| sons inauguration to make the navy
stronger in ships. in ammunition. in
mines. in torpedoes? Those questions
arc OF the utmost Importance. Let me
answer them briefly
First. as to ships: During the last
two years OF the Taft administration,
-,
| OF two Dreadnoughts. TO cost about
sl3,ooo.ooo each. During tho first two
years OF the Wilson administration,
upon my recommendation, Congress
| authorized the construction OF five
| Drcadnoughts. TO cost about $4,000
| 600 each. Stated IN dollars, the Will
son administration in its first two
years authorized s7o.ooo,ooo to be spent
on tho chief lighting force of the navy.
as against s26,o00.o0o authorized dur
Ing tho last two years OF Taft's; stated
! In numbers. II authorized fve Dread
| noughts instead OF two; and stated in
| effectiveness, the I'VE Dreadnoughts
authorized under Wilson will mount
thirty-six more fourteen-inch guns
than the two authorized under Mr.
| Taft.
Liberal APPROPRIATIONS
TO BUILD SUBMARINES
Second. rs to submarines: These
| wonderful agencies of war have aston
ished the world in the present Euro
| pcan conflict. The SiXty-third Con-
| gress, elected with Mr.. Wilson. adopt
ed my recommendation to give us all
| the money 1t could for submarines. 1t
| ordered the construction of three sea-
going submarines, the largest ever au-
| thoriZed by any country, and twenty
! three submarines OF the same size and
| type which have done such fearful exc
| cution in the present war. These sub
marines will cost s16.26o.ooo Now
| what was done during the last two
years undert Taft? Twelve submarines.
| to cost S7.95S.936. were authorized.
| Some OF our submarines are not az per-
feet ms they should be. nor are the
| submarines of any other nation. I'm
| der this administration, however, the
| board or inspections has adopted strict
| err tests before accepting submarines
| from contractors. Nobody has, as yet,
perfected a satisfactory engine or sat
| isfactory battery for submarines. Upon
| my invitation, Mr.. Edison. last year, at
! the New York NavyYard. went down
| into a submarine and closely studied
! Its every feature. He thinks he has a
battery that Will meet the need Our
| tests at the Brooklyn Navy-Yard cause
us TO believe Mr.. Edison has the right
principle Without waiting for the COM
pleiion of his battery. he has been
| given an order for two, one to be put
| into nm old submarine. accepted before
| March 4, 1913. whose battery does NOT
! give satisfaction. and one fer a new
| submarine which ] have ordered built
| in the Portsmouth On. HI Navy-Yard
Private firm building submarines have
not given entire satisfaction. We have
| equipped the Portsmouth Navy-Yard
| to build submarines, and by COMPETE
| ton between private and government
construction 1t Is hoped that every OBJ
| stacle may be overcome.
! Third. as to torpedoes: a statement
has been put in circulation that the
navy is not making adequate provision
| to supply Itself with torpedoes. The
only answer 1 can make is to state the
| fact that we either have no hand or
| have placed orders for all the torpedoes
| the general board prescribes. Is this
| administrative going backward in this
respect? 1t would not be proper to
make public the number OF torpedoes