Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-05-01

Der? 1t appears that early last Ncvem-
Der Admiral Fletcher ordered a general
mobilization Of the Atlantic F7eet The
rendezvous was in Hampton Roads.
The newspapers stated that only one
submarine out OF II in the Atlantic nees
could dive. Congressman Roberts. IL the
Naval Affairs Committee, refused to be
quieted and kept up a rumpus until COM
mander Sterling was susaaooned. The
commander explained that I'VE Of the
submarines were at the Panama Canal
and ought not to be reckoned. which
seemed reasonable. He then wsnt on to
testify that fer one reason or another
the bulk OF the rest OF them could not
be nobilised and the ultimate result was
described BY Commander Etsr3ing IN the
following language: so when we got
down there the Admiral wanted to
know what We could do. told him ne
had then only one submarine that
thought could efficiently take part In the
manenvers at sea on the coast
Fishes Uncompromisine Truth
''Is the Navy ready to meet a real
enemy? One OF the most significant
statements which have called again
and again to the attention OF the
powers-that-be is Admiral Ffske's
, testimony that it would take i've
years to get the United States navy
into condition to fight an efficient for
eign foe. 1t was just like bluff old
Fiske to blurt out the uucompromis-
ing truth. I don't think the gentle
men from the Navy Department cared
much for q statement which fitted In
SO ill with the sterilized testimony 80
fashionable at the present time.
| AT about the same time Assistant
Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt got
out of step when he testified that it
would take from three months to a
year to put into fighting trim the one
hundred and one vessels which Sec
rotary Daniels SO euphemisticaily de-
scribes as in reserve or in ordinary
or 'uncommissioned' BY the way, We
are to count on those one hundred
and one ships in case Of war. or as
Secretary Daniels tells President
Garfield.
FIetehers Discovery
II by any chance after reading this
communication you still continue to
think that the navy is prepared for
war. / commend to you Admiral
F1etcher's letter dated January IA,
1915. 1t is addressed to the Commit
tee on Naval Affairs of the House OF
Representatives. In it the admirals
asks leave to correct some Of his tes-
timony. He explains that much to his
surprise he has discovered an alarm
ing shortage of officers and men IN
his own feet. It appears that in the
twenty-on one battleships under his
command investigation has discovered
a shortage of five thousand tive hun
dred and nineteen men and three
hundred and thirty-nine offlcers
Rather an unpleasant discovery for ar
admiral to make in the feet under his
command. should think. 1t mus
have been especially disconcertfng IL
view of the peans which had greeted
him FIVE weeks earlier when he has
stated his belief that in an emergency
, all of his vessels could be ready fol
war within a week.
Speaking Of Admiral Fletcher:
i. fleet and its readiness for war. did yo'
! notice on December s. last, in Ger
. tain New York paper an account o
the attempted notifications last NO
T yemher which Secretary Daniel
I speaks Of as valuable maneuvers' ant
= strenuous practice?' Admiral Fetch
r er,s testimony shows that only clever
: of his battleships took part In mos
/. maneuvers and the Naval Correspond
ent Of that New York newspaper wa
so inpudent as to write that only nv
: of the battleships turned UP on tins
5 Four out of five Of those battleshlps
!. according to this saucy scribe, eac'
had an admiral aboard, leaving oni'
one battleship, the Rhode Island. 10
the four admirals to boss around. Ao
miral Fletcher takes issue with In
!. correspondent but then 1t is ialr
say that the correspondent takes issu
with Admiral Fletcher.
THE astonishing slowness OF GU
battleships: Have you been able
, fathom the reason why Congress COZ
: tinues to refuse to build these Ia
= dreadnaught cruisers which al IN
rest Of the world is building? Is
merely because a dreadnaught cruls
y or costs six millions of dollars NOR
= than a dreadnaught?
: Launching Pennsylvania
ri know that you are well aware
s the fact that the modern dreadnaugt
: cruisers steam fully rs or 20 knots
!, hour. You must have laughed at OF
e preposterous self-congratulation tn
/. other day when we launched the z
knot Pennsylvania-right under tn
ewes of the German sailors, too n
y one knows better than the German
the advantage Of speed. They haV
lust had a great object lesson.
! "A few Sundays ago the world sa'
y what happened to the German sh1
y Blucher in the Great North sea bal
! tie. There were nine big fighting shiI
$ in that engagement, five OF them Br'
6 ish and four of them German. tt
r Rlucher was sunk to the bottom OF tt
|. sea because she could not keep up wit
4 her consorts The fact is, that she We
; five knots an hour slower than an
= other Of the nine fighting ships in tt
8 battle. Yet slow as she was, the Blucf
II er was faster than the fastest 81
j. fighting ship in the United States nav.
s either built or building. II you thin
t, I am mistaken turn to pages $50
8 s54 United States Navy Year Boo