Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-03
FORMER HEAD OF NAVY
CR|T|C|zEs CONDITION
George Won L.. Meyer Reviews Claims
Made in Letter by Secre-
tary Daniels.
PRESENT POLICY INADEQUATE
Organization In Force for Years Dis
rupted and Disorganized Without
Consulting Experts, and Nothing Is
Put in Its Place.

Consulting Experts, and Nothing Is
Put In Its Place.
BOSTON, May 2.-Former Secretary
OF the Navy George Won L. Meyer, made
public tonight statement reviewing
| tho open letter from Secretary of the
Navy Daniels to President Garfield, OF
Williams College, concerning the pres
| ent status OF the naval equipment of
the United States. Mr. Meyer opens
with the statement that Secretary Dan
telss discussion of this subject leaves
| much to be desired in the way OF in
formation" The statement follows:
The secretary neglccts to state.
when he refers to the last two years of
the Taft administration, that the House
Of Representatives. which orlgina tes
appropriations. was In rontrol of the
Democrats on account Of the by-elec-
| lions: that they went into caucus and
voted no battleships.' 1t was on the
issue that no party could afford 10
caucus on patriotism. placed before the
| people by some OF the leading papers
at my request. that we broke the eau
| sus and obtained, very srudgingly, from
the Democrats ono battleship for each
OF the remaining two years
The war and the campaign of edu
cation on national defense, has infu-
enced Congress In making more liberal
appropriations, but the third battleshin
Mr.. Daniels obtained was made possI-
ole by the sale of the Idaho and Mis-
stssippi to Greece. using the fund de-
rived from this transaction for an adj
! ditional Dreadnought. But the Idaho
and Mississippi we're both modern Sims
| Quilt In 1904 and while President VIII
sons sale was good business trans.
action. 1t will not. apparently. increase
| our tonnage. II should also be noted
| mat the Indiana, Massachusetts and
oregon can no longer be included in
our tonnage list; that the Iowa. Eear-
sarge Kentucky and Alabama will
reach their ago limit in 1916, while the
Illinois, Wisconsin, Maine. Ohio and
Missouri are due for replacement nv
1920, as hattleships become obsolete in
| twenty years. II Is obvious. therefore
that policy pursued according to this
years program Of two battleships with
certain auNiliarics, no scout cruisers
ana no battle cruisers. will lead no.
"here II 1t is the real purpose Of the
nation to have an adequate navy. for
we are not even following prorra m
OF new construction intended to renl,ca
those vessels which have been or will
soon be condemned because unit for
| service on account OF age.
! FLEET LACKS 5000 MEN
AND NUMBER OF OFFICERS
"hile. as the secretary has stated.
.he navy is to-day recruited to it's max
'hum strength (Which is due to the de-
creased demand for labor in various
lines Of trade throughout tho I7nited
states). yet the commander chief Of
the hect, In a communication to the
Naval Academy, gives the opinion that
the heet lacks in its complete couip-
mont about 5000 men and n numhor
OIL Officers To PIT all the ships IN
commission that could be useful In
! .ime OF war. would require $4,000 addi-
tional men and many officers accord
ing to Admiral Badger in his cyIdence
nefore the Naval Committee this win
ter; and yet, In his letter tho secre-
tar! assures the public that tho navy
M ISL" Is larger, better equipped and
IN better condition than in anv previons
year. while experts know that this Is
'nipossioie. since many Of the battle
SHIPS nave been retained so lone /,
MeA!co mat heet maneuvring vital for
EFFICIENCY. has been terribly hammered
and interferred with.
The naval conflicts OF tho E,ro
war have emphasized the imnor,a,
or speed, range and armament The
Butcher. faster than anv Of our cit.
was destroyed because she was slowar
than any of the other ships in the cor
met Yet we are building no fast
cruisers or battle-cruisers Tho s.oro
ltarE, In his enthusiasm over orr four
! teeh-inch guns, which he saws vii,
shoot farther. shoot straiehter and bit
harder than any naval gun now in uso
"Nerlooks the fact that Japan has in
commission and building eight nava,
ships with fourteen-inch guns nroh.
ABLY ms good as our fourteen-inch guns
and that England has the Queen .liza-
beth In commission with ffteen-jnch
guns. battleship of over $1,000 tons
with speed of twenty-five knots. ana
nine other capital ships building win
fifteen-inch guns.
The war has demonstrated the need
and value of aircraft The general
board recommended the appropriation
of 100000. but only one-fifth of the
amount was obtained.
I'm view OF the increasing number NJ
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 and testing to de-
1crminc the resistance to external
water pressure. Two docks of this de-
scription will be required for tho At
lantic and two for the Pacific.
Upon the efficacy of the supply ships
depends the efficacy OF the fleet. The
! Importance of supply ships has also
been demonstrated in this war One
was authorized in 1913. 1t would have