The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-05-17
WILL STRENGTHEN
THE u. S. NAVY
Secretary of Navy Daniels Also Declared
that the Navy is Both Efficient
and Prepared for War.


New York, May l7-OiHcers of the Al
lantic fleet gathered here last night a
a dinner in their honor heard ,Nfretar
Josephus Daniels defend the navy as eff
clent and prepared for war, and promis
that the administration, with the sup
port of the American people, would max
II more powerful and more efficient Nj
Daniels answered the navy's critics, par
ticularly the National Security league
which recently made public an open let
ter declaring that investigation disclose,
that the navy was inadequate and un
prepared for war.
with the praise of great city ring
ing in our ears" said the secretary
with our mighty ships in all their splen
did strength lying outside; in this houl
OF natural and pardonable exultation il
our great navy, as the head of that ma
Ivy l feel it right to utter word Of
warning, Test we forget to those whc
may feel inclined to rest too secure or
this visible and outward display Of
strength and at the same time to speak
a word of promise and cheer to those
who, perhaps, have looked too despond.
emily upon the task that still lies before
us in our efforts to reach as near as
possible to perfection
Our navy is good; it is not good
enough With your help, as long as | am
secretary of the navy, we will all
try to make it better. The navy IL
strong; it not strong enough. With the
help of the whole American people, with
the help of a congress and an administra-
ton 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 la
bors. We do not here exhibit our com
pleted work. Rather, we here begin a
new era, supported by the chief execu-
tive and by an enlightened and progress
sive congress, which gave evidence of its
faith in a strong navy by the passage
of the best navy bill in the history of
your country. 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
lifting OF our navy out of politics and
by the subordination of all things afioat
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
Mt peace with all the world.
you have seen-and lately you have
heard far too much--of the petrified
Dessimist who visits one of our levia-
thians of power with sour and disap-
pointed visage, looking for something
ipon which he can hang tale OF woe
md wall a permeiad. Tell him that the
New York is at once source of pride
md protection, and he tells you that so
ong as we have as many New Yorks |
IS all the nations of the earth combined !
t is worthless. Point out that hotilla |
# American submarines recently made |
ne of the longest continuous runs on /
ecord and he sighs a deep sigh and his
My comment is but we ought to have
nd build them before breakfast to-
many as the three biggest
European nations combined Go to him
nd show him the big guns, the torpe-
oes, the large and increasing supplies
ammunition and he looks at you
and sadly remarks: But if
e had long and bloody war, we have
OF enough TO fight the whole world and,
lerefore, We would be annhilated,' and
e sees nothing in what patriotic and
aimed men have wrought. Like the
~ crying for the moon, nothing else
of value in his eyes unless he can
Tn that shining orb
The navy and its head have been
le target of much criticism OF late, some
ON those honest in their beliefs, but
ably ignorant or misinformed, ami
uch from purely partisan and political
urces which had no interest in facts
hatever. As for such criticism as con- .
rned myself, l have kept silent. Time
ust justify, or time condcm. The splen- /,
d condition of the ships for which .
~ are responsible. the splendid disci-
inc of the crews which you have estab- ,
he'd, make to-day a far better answer
an anything l could have been able to :
y. As they ride tonight at their an
ors on the river. let them stand as IN
cir Spokesman, and ] rejoice that il is q
y pleasure 10 greet here tonight the
OF the Atlantic feet, !
lmral Fletcher. ;
"A few days ago new organization. n
airing the name of the National Sc \
rity league, issued an open letter an ,
uncing the result Of investigations and 2
blished TO the world this statement: 4
Investigation discloses. il is assert a
that the navy is neither adequate nor i.
pared for war; that il is inadequately "
nned. il short Of ammunition and has Il
organized reserve Of trained men; ~
L the submarine hotills exists chiefly
paper; that fast scout cruisers, battle c
Users, aeroplanes, mine LAYERS. supply 49,
% and transports are lacking. and
i target practice has been neglected
omitted a.
n the gentlemen who signed the q
We libel Of the navy had known the ,e
] truth their signatures would never -
-e been appended. If they had not -
N misled and misinformed they would y
70 written instead.
Investigation discioses that the ma -
is efficient and prepared for war;
Z our ships are well manned: that
supply Of munitions IL vastly larger Z
N ever before. and the capacity Of our
uts has been practically doubled.
I tho last con3ress authorized ma
Preserve which y in rrocess Of organ
son. that We have "a Submarines en-
rired. huilt 0r builiing, which are the
Al 81 fiiose 81 any Other country and
! ume HOtila 81 suiyfnn rines has inst
rrIIrfssH a rrrrarlraklr long fisfanne Y