Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-29
Denies Fifty Warships Have
Been Put in Full Commits
sion Since 1918.
OLD ONES DRAGGED OUT,
SAYS REPRESENTATIVE
Declares Every New Vessel Was
Authorized Before Mr.. Dan
iels Took Office.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
DANVERS, Mass. August oS.-Repre-
sentative A. p. Gardner of Massachu
sets, in an address before the republi-
cans of the second Essex senatorial
district this afternoon. took issue with
statement made recently by Secre-
tary Daniels of the navy, to the effect
that the navy had been increased by
fifty war vessels in full commission
since Mr.. Daniels took office. Mr.. Gard
ner said:
Secretary Daniels has just issued
in Washington and has repeated i'll
Boston exceedingly adroit state
ment, in which he declares that the
American Navy has been increased by
fifty war vessels in full commission
since March. 1913 when he became Sec
rotary of the Navy. To judge by the
headlines and the press comments. the
public thinks that this means fifty new
ships added to our commissioned
strength. 1t means nothing of the sort.
Old Ships Dragged Out.
"Of course. there have been some new
ships added: but on the other hand old
ships authorized in the time of Harri-
son and Cleveland have been dragged
are not, however. in full commission in
any proper sense of the word. For in
stance, the Secretary says that in his
time the increase in the number of
battleships in full commission has been
six. The fact is that instead of six,
there have been just two new battle
ships commissioned in Mr.. Daniels
time. the Texas and the New York.
both of them provided by Congress
Ir,i, isfr
tion.
THE rest of his six ships are made
up follows: To begin with. there is
the Oregon, provided in President Har-
rison's time, which the Secretary has
dragged out of limbo and put in COM
mission for show purposes in San Fran
cisco. In his list he includes the Kear-
sarge and the Kentucky, authorized in
the time of Grover Cleveland These
two ships have been laid up in ordi-
nary Mr.. Daniels has now I'M
earthed them and put them in full COM
mission, he calls it. The fact is that
they are largely manned by naval mi
1itiamen, and are not in full commits
sion in any reasonable sense of the
word. Then, there are the old Missouri
and the Wisconsin. which Daniels has
taken out Of the reserve fleet and put
in what he alleges to be full commits
sion. The fact is that they are part of
and are largely manned by naval ca
dets- None of the above list is with
the battleship fleet, and none of them
are in full commission in any reason
able sense of the word.
Idaho Sold to Greece.
Meanwhile, the Idaho which was in
full commission when Mr.. Daniels be-
care Secretary of the Navy, has been
sold to Greece. This accounts for all
six battle ships which the Secretary
claims to have added to our battle fleet
in full commission.
Nearly half of the increase in YES
sells in full commission is made up of
submarines and of the old monitors,
which have been resuscitated for the
purpose of acting as travelling black
smith shops and gasoline tanks when
the submarines make their runs. Alto
Sether, there are twenty-four sub
marines and monitors added to the fleet
in full commission, according to the
Secretary. BY the way, every one of
them them was provided by Congress long
Yet been able to find which of these
submarines are broken down, but
notice that one of the number which
the Secretary includes in his list is the
Fl. which now reposes at the bottom
of the sea. Furthermore, the Secre-
tary for some unknown reason has
transferred from reserve into full com
mission the old submarines Grampus
and Pike, authorized in McKinley's
time, and now rechrstened AS and
As. Our submarine fleet can certainly
make brave show on paper
whole Business Pretense.,
The fact of the matter is that the
whole business is pretense. 1t is no
use having lots of vessels in full
commission if they are entirely under
manned, as is the case. In the Allan
tic battleship fleet alone Admiral
Fletcher, the commander-in- chief, has
definitely announced that the shortage
in the feet under his command amounts
10 J,219 men and 339 officers
To sum it all up. Secretary Daniels
has unfairly compared winter condi-
lions with summer conditions. Further
than that, he has totally omitted to
point out that every new vessel so far
put into commission since he became
Secretary was provided by Congress
prior to President Wilson's election"