The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-05-16
Promises With Help of The Peo-
pie of the Nation to Make it
More Powerful

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NEW YORK. May I5.-omcers OF
the Atlantic feet gathered here To-
night at dinner in their honor,
near Secretary Josephus Daniels de-
fend the navy AZ efficient and pre-
pared fo- war. and promise that the
administration, with the support o.
the American people, would make it
Daniels answered the Nays critics
particularly the National Security
League. which recently made public
an open letter declaring that invcs-
tiSation disclosed that the navy was
Inadequate and unprepared Tor Wal
With the praise OF great City
ringing in our ears said the secre-'
tarr, with our mis1ty ships IN all
their splendid strength lying Just out
side: in this hour or natural and par
donabie exui;ation N our great navy.
as the head OF that may feei
right 10 utter
Word OF Warning.
lest We forget 10 those who may
feel inclined 10 rest 100 secure on
this visible and Outward display OF our
strength, and at the same time To-
speak a word of promise and cheer TO
those who. perhaps. have looked TOO
despondently upon the task that stlli
lies before US in our efforts TO reach
as nea: as possible TO perfection
Our navy is good: 1t IS not Sooo
enough. With your help. as long as
i am secretary of the navy. we viii
ali try 10 make it better. The navy
is strong: it is not strong enough
With the help OF che whole American
people. with the help OF Congress
and an administration thoroughly
committed TO the policy OF taking
:eave to
Be Strong Upon the Seas.
we will make it stronger. This re-
view is not the end OF cen1urrs lao
o-s. We do not here exhibit our
completed work. Rather We here be-
gin A new era, supported by the chief
executive ard by an enlightened and
progressive Congress. which gave evi-
dence of its faith in strong navy by
the passage of tte best navy bill IN
the history of your country. We are
entering upan an era of progress such
as the navy mas never known before.
wollse keynote will be onward and
whose keynote will be onward and
an era marked by me iiftinS OF our
navy
and by the subordination of all Things
the feet. IN order that by our very
strength we may be able 10 demand
the right 10 live at peace with all the
world.
have heard for TOO mucn-of the pet
ri1ed pesimSst who visits one OF our
ieviarhans of power with a. sour an u
disappointed yisage. looking Tor some
thing upon which he can hang tale
Of woe and wall q jermeiad- Tel him
thar 1he New York is at once source
OF pride and protection. and he tells
YOU that so long as We have not as
many New Yorks as all the nations
OF the Garth combined it is worth
,ess. Point OUT that fiotilla OF
American Submarines recently made
one OF the
on record and he signs a deep sigh
and his only comment is but We ought
20 have-and build them before
breakfast tcmorrow-aS many as the
three biggest European nations com
bined-' Go to him and shcw him the
big guns. the torpedoes. the large
and Increasing supplies OF ammuni-
ton and he looks at YOU nournfulty
and sadly remarks: But If we had
a long and bloody war. we have not
enough to fight the whole world and.
therefore. We would he annthuated-
And so on. He sees nothing IN what
patr;o1dc and trained men have
wrought. Like rhe boy crying for the
moon. nothing else IS OF value IN ms
ewes unless he can own that SHINING
orb.
.--Tae navy and It's head have been
tho target of much criticism Of late.
some from those honest in their be-
aefs. but sadly ignorant or m1sln
sormed. and much from purely parti-
san and political sources winch nad
no interest in facts whatever As for
..nct criticism as concerned myself,
I have kept silent. Time must JUSTIFY
or time condemn The splend1d con
dtrion OF the ships for which you are
responsible, the
Splendid Discipline
OF the crews which you haze estsf-
Iished. make today a far better ans
.wer rhan anything could have been
-S1e 70 say. AS they ride tonight at
,beir anchors on the river. let them
stand as their own spokesmen. AND
rejoice that 1t Is my pleasure to greet
here tonight the commander-in-cnlef
- ,l1e Atlantic feet. Admiral Fletcher.
"a fex days ago a new orSanlza-
ton. bearing the name OF the Natsona!
Security League. issued an open let
ter announcing The result OF ln'es
1ieanons- and published TO the world
this statement
Investigation discloses. It is as
ser,ed. snat the navy Is neither ade-
ouate nor prepared for war; that It
Is inadeouately manned. is short 0:
ammunition and mas no orSanized
reserve of trained mem thar the
Submarine FIotIIa Exists