Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-04-26

upon the heels of valuable maneuvers
and tactics in october. November and
December last. This was. indeed. siren
uous practice, but it is the way the
navy is kept fit and ready. and the new
admiral in command OF the meet ana
the department planned such exten-
sive evolutions because the only way
that the navy can be always prepared
Is by practice and practice and then
more pra ctice
This simple statement of the opera :
lions of the fleet since October is one
of the best answers 7 can give to your
question as to the navy preparedness
The necessity of keeping ships IN Mex
leo last year denied Admiral hadser
the opportunity for as long practice as
he had wisely planned, but the sudden
call for the expedition to vera cruz de
manded and exacted unusual service, 10
which the feet responded with an alac-
rlty and readiness which amply Justl1S
the faith of the country that there ex
lists today no more efficient institution
than the United states Navy. Some
critics have said the efficiency OF the
fleet was reduced by reason or gong 70
Vera Cruz. To our regret certain
maneuvers and target practice OF Naiue
were necessarily omitted
Vera Cruz Experience of Value.
The emergency experience. however OF
greater value in one important respect
than the we'll planned routine, because it
gave demonstration of the readiness of
the navy in every department af1oat and
ashore. to meet an urgent call. Its tlexi-
b1iity was shown in adjusting itself to
entirely new and unexpected situations.
as we'll as its remarkable adaptability In
handling every problem presented to it.
It must be conceded by all that the
pest school and preparation for war is
war itself. and 1t was almost under this
condition that our fleet acted in proceed
ing almost in a day to Mexican waters.
The stay at Vera Cruz, however. did not
prevent ractice, for the ships. individul
or IN divisions. during a great part of the
tl1ne held tactical maneuverS, torpedo
proving practice and subcaliber drills in
preparation for target practice
FOR many years. officers have writ
ten and talked about the formation Of
advance base material and the practice
of exercising landing parties Of seamen
and marines in the use of this important
adjunct to naval warfare. Congress ap-
propriated money for this important plan
OF campaign. but never until January of
last year was the navy thus exercised.
mere mad been plenty of talk, but not
until Janltlry of last year was it under
taken Then, under instructions from the
department. Admiral Badger carried out
comprehensive exercise in which the
professional advantages gained BY officers
ana men were inestimable. Three months
aiter TINS extensive practice had been
given for the first time in our navy the
same fleet and the same men were called
upon to land at Vera Cruz, and in the
taking of that city the navy carried out
under fire what had been learned at
Culebra.
These details are given because every
man knows that the efficiency of the
navy depends upon constant practice.
but nobody in the navy thinks any,
thing like perfection has been reached,
and constant study and work are pur-
sued with the aim of continued i'm
provement. If the fleet were efficient
in any degree before Admirals Badger
and Fletcher carried out the drills thus
detailed, 1t is much more efficient to-
day and 1T will be made more ready
every year. All that capable and train
ed officers and men can do to accom-
plsh this steady Improvement is being
done. Only the uniformed or the
partisan deny the steady Improvement
of the past two years, thanks chiefly to
Rear Admiral Badger and Admiral
Fletcher.
Efficiency of Navy.
But. you say, how about equipment
and preparation for military emergen-
cies? What has been done since Presi-
dent Wilson's Inauguration to make
ton, in mines, in torpedoes? These
questions are of the utmost Importance.
Let me answer them briefly:
First, as to ships: During the last
two years of the Taft administration
Congress authorized the construction
of two dreadnaughts, to cost about
$4,000 each. During the first two
years of the Wilson administration,
upon my recommendation, Congress au-
thorized the construction of five dread
naughts, to cost about 100000 each.
Stated in dollars, the Wilson admins
tration in it's first two years author
lied s70,000,O00 to be spent on the chief
fighting force of the navy, as against
s26,OOO,O00 authorized during the last
two years of Taft's; stated in numbers.
it authorized five dreadnaughts instead
of two, and, stated in effectiveness. the
five dreadnaughts authorized under
President Wilson will mount thirty six
more 14-inch guns than the two au-
thorized under Mr.. Taft.
Second. as to submarines: These
wonderful agencies of war have aston
ished the world in the present Euro
pean conflict The Sixty-thtrd Con-