The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-05-03


therefore. that policy pursued ac-
cording to this years program of two
hattisships with certain auxiliaries,
no scout cruisers and no battle
cruisers. will lead nowhere II IT is the
real purpose OF the nation to have an
adequate navy, for we are not even
following program of new conS~-uc-
zion intended to replace those vessels
which have been or will soon be con-
account Of age
the navy is today recruited TO It's
medium strength, (Which is due to
the decreased demand for labor in
various lines of trade throughout the
United States, yet the commander in
chief OF the feet. in a communication
10 the naval academy. gives the
opinion that the feet lacks in its
compile equipment, about I'VE thous-
and men and a number Of officers.
To put all the ships in commission
which could be useful in times OF
war. would require eighteen thous
and additional men and many Of
hcers. according to Admiral Badger In
mis- evidence before the naval COM
mittee this winter: and yet. in his let
ter the secretary assures the naval
committee that the navy in 1915 Is
larger, better equipped and in better
condition than in any previous year,
while experts know that this is i'm
possible. since many OF the battle
ships have been retained so long IN
Mexico that feet manoeuvring, vital
for efficiency, has been terribly ham
pered and interfered with.
The naval conflicts OF the Europe
an war have emphasized the import
snce of speed. range and armament
The Butcher, faster than any of our
ships. was destroyed because It was
slower than any of the other ships
in the conflict. Yet we are building
no fast cruisers or battle-cruisers
The secretary in his enthusiasm over
our fourteer-inch guns, which he says
will shoot farther. shoot straighter
and hit harder than any naval gun
now in use. oyerlooks the fact that
Japan has in commission and build
ing eight naval ships with fourteen
inch guns probably as good as our
fourteen-inch guns. and that England
mas the Queen Elizabeth in commits
sion with fifteen-inch guns, a battle
ship of over twenty-seven thousand
tons with a speed of twenty-five knots
and nine other capital ships building
with ffteen-inch gpns.
THE war demonstrated the need
and value of aircraft. The general
board recommended the appropria-
ton of FIVE millions of dollars. but
only one-fifth of the amount was OBJ
tanned
I'm view of the increasing number
of submarines and the accident in
HAWAII. there is urgent necessity for
testing and wrecking docks that may
be used for salving submarines of
any size, docking submarines ancI
testing to determine the resis stance
to external water pressure. Two
docks of this description will be re-
CURED for the Atlantic and two for
the Pacific.
Upon the efficacy of the supply
ships depends the efficacy of the feet.
The importance of supply ships has
also been demonstrated in this war
One was authorized in 1918. II.
would have been thoroughly COM
contract in one OF our navy yards,
and it has not yet been laid down.
Without ample coal and oil stor-
age at distant bases. in the absence
Of large merchant marine to insure
? continuous supply of fuel. the
range and efficiency of the feet will
be seriously impaired in time OF war
The general board in a report to,
the secretary state: The strength.
the public mind by the number and
tonnage of its material units. Thel
real strength of the feet is the COM
bination of its personnel with their
skill and training) and its material,
and of these two elements the more
the personnel. is too often
forgotten and neglected in making
provisions for our feet One of the
basic troubles at the present mo-
ment is the Decentralization which has
ceen going on of our personnel and
which IS not taken into account.
Further. il is poor economy to build
bat:leships without making. as we are
doing now. proper provision for the
increase required in personnel. as is
the approved practice in other conu-
tries.
THE difficulty in the administra-
ton of the navy ar the present mo-
ment Is due to the fact that the or
ganizatiou in force for four years
founded on a plaa to a great extent
the outcome of Admiral Mahanu
ideas. has been disrupted and dis
coura1ed without consulting experts.
and nothing has been put in Its
place Imagine a new railroad pres
ident removing division heads with
out replacing them and expecting the
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