New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-26
"NAVY UNREADY"
ADMIRAL KNIGHT
Naval College Head Sees
War as the One Thing
Not in Scheme.


The existing organization Of the
/ NAVY Department is inadequate and
would break down under the strain Of
war. according TO Rear Admiral Austin
/ NJ. knight, president of the Naval Wal
College AZ Newport, VINO sddrcs $50 -tlas
Efficiency Society last night at the Biit-
more.
Admiral Knight said that the effect
OF the conditions now existing IN the
navy was to nullify almost completely
the power of our fighting ships.
I'VE are weak in submarines. nc
continued. and there is a correspond
ing list Of omissions in the provision
for the navy's upkeep. especially m
drvdocks and navy yard facilities.
There is not an efficient drydock or
repair shop within thousand miles OF
Guantanamo the area IN which u
anywhere. our control Of the Panama
Canal will be challenged.
at is a singular fact that the organ
ization Of the Navy Department takes
no account of the relation OF the navy
to war. War is the one thing Tor
which no arrangement has been made.
In all the legislation creating the
seven bureaus there is not "ord
about keeping the nation IN prepared
ness for war or conducting u aiter u
begins
+ .I,sA.atnA ogtaD-
lsbment OF a council Of national de-
fence and 8 division Of strategy and
operations in the Navy Department.
The latter, he said, should be superior
10 any OF the bureaus. but under the
direction of the Secretary OF the Navy.
The present defects in our navy, ne
pointed out, are a lack of coordination
of authority ard a total lack or pro-
vision for planning and carrying Tor
ward the operations of war.
"The creation OF such al Office would
provide a policy for the Navy so far
As the activities Of the Navy itself
are concerned" he concluded, "insur-
ing unity Of effort and shaping plans
toward preparedness for var. We need
in addition. a policy broader than and
including our present naval policy; u
must be a national policy covering
both the army and navy. This PORTS
10 a Counil OF National Defence. for
which bill is now before Congress.
and which would have the President of
the United States at its head
The people Of the United States,
said Rear Admiral ". 7. Fullam, COM
mandant Of the United States Military
Academy, "are not onc-half as patriotic
as they think they are, and not one
tenth as patriotic as they ought TO be.
For when ~e consider the struggle
made by few thousand Beers and
that made by the 100000 men who
took part in the American Revolution,
il is impossible TO regard the rebellion
with any great respect. We have avoid
ed large armies for the expense they
involve. and yet we have preferred TO
pay $500. .000. 900 in pensions for 100
years This amount would build TWEEN
ty-fve miles Of dreadnoughts in col
umns for battle
The commandsnt showed by refer
ences 10 this country's many wars that
there has been horrible mismanage-
ment. a heavy loss Of life and crim-
inal expense IN prolonglng them.
Only the agreeable facts Of these
struggles" he went on, "are recorded
told. How many know that George
Washington. when unable to obtain re
suits because his men deserted MN,
was made a dictator by our Congress,
that he might recruit sixteen bsttai-
ions? II is we'll enough to know we
had a dictator. with as much power as
a Disz ever had, but il is also fortunate
that it was Washington.
THE navy has always tried 10 De an
efficiency society, but IL must he borne
in mind that wsrmsnship is as neces-
ssry an element as peacemanship IN
making statesmsnship. In all the
United States wars unframed men and
an insufficient army and navy have
been employed. Had these been com
petent the Civil War would have been
ended in six months"
The society elected the following Of
fcers: President. Or Molyil Dewey;
vice presidents, Joseph French Johnson
and +. r. Hazard; secretary. Elihu c.
Church, and assistant secretary and
treasurer, r. W. Walker.