The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-03
DANIELS.
1.-THE Sun" Reports q Friendly and
Temperate Criticism Of HIS Temper.
smental Incapacity to Get the Idea.

temperate Cr1ticism OF HIS Temper.
amental Incapacity TO Get the Idea.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 2.-One whose
occupation has brought him into FREE
quent communication with Secretary
Of the Navy Daniels said:
The Administration OF President
Wilson Is suffering from a tempera-
ment. l have read much Of the criti-
cism Of Secretary Daniels, and the bulk
Of 1t seems to be based on the belief
that he is ignorant of the navy's
needs; that his acts of commission and
omission are chargeable to his lack Of
knowledge OF certain vital facts. !
am not of that opinion, and / have
used with deep interest my opportu-
nifty to study the man.
THE Secretary of the Navy Is an
intelligent man, his advisers in the
Department have informed him pre-
cisely as to conditions, he has read
their testimony before the Naval Az
fairs Committee of the House. Mr..
Gardner has taken pains to see to
II that Mr.. Daniels shall not lack
information. He knows. The trouble
lies In his te"mperamental incapacity
to grasp the single. vital purpose OF
a navy's being, battle preparedness.
There are many proofs of this, the
most conspicuous, most lamentable, s
his order that enlisted men must re-
ceive instruction from commissioned
officers in the three RS. or, for that
matter, in anything whatever except
thzga thgn1a u.hIrh haln In h4ttla
preparedness.
THE Secretary OF the Navy was re-
ported recently as expressing his
satisfaction that many men go to
school on board ship now instead Of
swabbing decks! That exactly Illus
trates his shocking misconception Of
the reason for "a navy. He Is an
amiable gentleman averse from the
thought Of war. happy in an oppor-
tunity to give several thousand young
men a scholastic education. His aids
may talk information to him until they
faint, yet will his mind continue to
dwell in delight over the thought
hat his great office enables him to
impose the three RS on men who
should be taught nothing but how to
fight their ships, else M navy Is OF
no more use for war than a company
Of blind cripples armed with broom
sticks.
you should hear navy officers talk
OF this: Preparedness to the hour.
minute. second; trained to fight with
the highest efficiency even II called
upon Unexpectedly at midnight in a
storm. That Is the beginning. the
end. the whole Of their professional
creed. a sailor should be made to
work, will work, when not in battle.
only so many hours a day. In every
minute OF those hours he should be
drilled. drilled, drilled in the work of
fighting the ship. so that In the roar
and excitement of battle. ven his first
battle. his duties toward making his
ship most efficient as a fghting ma
chine will be perfectly done until he
falls; dore quickly. accurately. The
Daniels schoolroom takes so many
Of the sailors working hours away
from that drill. that drill without
which an ammunition hoist may he
mishandled, a breech block improp-
crly closed. an aiming command i'm
perfectly executed. at n moment when
n such error means defeat; eff
cheney. victory.
Secretary Daniels cannot be made
TO grasp the spirit OF this creed: he
thinks. probably, the officer who may
talk in that strain Is moved by pro-
fessional enthusiasm. Such talk
rams his temperament but falls to
penetrate TO his reasoning apparatus.
He thinks OF his ship schoolroum as a
rich by-product. II is ahhorent to him
to think of thousands Of men set apart
all their working hours for drill which
perfects them in the one purpose:
efficiency In battle.
1T is not that Secretary Daniels Is
uniformed as to what officers think
the navy needs that Is injurlng the
Administration Of President Wilson:
1t is that the Secretary of the Navy
will not admit that a battleship is
built, armed, differed and manned for
but one purpose. TO be prepared at a
seconds notice 10 plunge into battle
and fight with the highest human EN-
cheney for the glory and safety OF our
country"