The Sentinel=record., 1915-05-16

New York, May lJ.-Ofacers of the Atlantic fleet gathered here tonight at dinner in their honor, heard Sc cretary Josephus Daniels defend the navy as efficient and prepared for war and promise that the admmistra. ton with the support of the American people would make if more powerful and more efficient Mr Daniels an. wered the nayy's critics. particularly | the National Security League. which recently made public an open letter declaring that investigation disclosed that the navy was inadequate and uu. prepared for war.
 "With the praise of a great ci.y ringing in our ears" said the secre. taIy, with our mighty ships in all their splendid strength lying just out side; in this hour of natural and par douab.e eXultation in our great navy, as the head of that navy feel it right to utter a word of warning lest we forget to those who may feel inclined to rest too securely on this visible and outward display of our strength aud at the same time to speak & word of promise and cheer to those who perhaps have looked too de spondently 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 win all try to make it better The navy Is strong it is not strong enough With the help of the American people Wi,h the help of a Congress and an admin l istratiou thoroughly committed to the policy of taking leave to be strong upon the seas we will make it strong CT. This review is not tho end of d centmys labors We do not here eN- lhbit cu- completed work. Rather we here begin a new era. supported by the chief executive and by an eIlisht- eued and progressive congress which gave evidence of its faith in a strong na,y by the passage of the hest navy biu in the history of our country We are entering upon am era of progress such as the navy has never known he. fore, whose keynote wl he onward and whose watchvord will be forward
 an era marked by the lifting of our navy ont of politics and by the
 subordination of all things af'oat or ashore to the efficiency of the fleet iu order that by our very strength we may be able to demand the right to live at peace with all the world
 ''You have seen-and lately yon have heard far too much-of the pc uffied pessimist who visits one of our leviathans of power with a sour , and disappointed vsaee, looking for something upon which he can haue a tale of woe and wall of Joremeiad. Tell him that the New York is at once a source of pride and protection and no tells you that so long as we have not as many New Works as all the na- tions of the earth 1t is worthless
 Pointed out that notla of American marines recently made oae of the longest continuous runs on record and he sighs a deep sigh and his only comment is but we ought 70 have-and build them before break fast tomorrow as many as the three biggest European navies combined l Go 10 him and show him the big guns, the torpedoes the large and inCreas- ing supplies Of ammunition and he looks at you mourufully and sadly re marks: but if We had ong and bloody war, we have not enough 70 fight the whole world and therefore we would he annihNated And so 1u. l He sees nothing in what patriotic and l trained men have wrought Like the boy crying for the moon nothing else
 is of value in his eye unless he can Town that shining orb.
 "The navy and its head have beon the target of much criticism of late. Some from those honest in their be Hefs but sad'y y ignorant or misin- formed, and much from purely par tisan and political sources which had Inc interest in facts whatever. As for such criticisms as concerned myself II have kept silent Time must justify or time condemn.
 'The splendid condition Of the ships for which you are responsible. e. tha
 splendid descipme of the crews
 which you have established make to-
 day a far better answer tNan anything
 could have been able Q say As
 they ride tonight al their hllchors on
 the river let them stand 4 their own spokesmen and ! rejoice ! it 1t is my
 pleasure to greet herelst night the