Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-15

which the secretary has rendered, and
for which he has not had his due OF
credit.
same Things DauieIs Has Done.
For example, about $4,000. 900 has been
saved 10 treasury Of the United States
in the buying of materials for ,he
Superdreadnought Arizona, which viii
he launched in June. Through scrutiny
OF specifications. contracts and pur-
chhses, the government actually bought
structural steel for that great battle.
shops at prices less than those paid by
The Newport News Shipbuilding Com
pany for Identical material used In the
construction OF her recently launched
sister ship, the Pennsylvania
~ was Secretary lJanaiels personally
who turned the light upon the fact that
the United S;aes had absolutely no sub
marine mines. and set in motion the
necessary machinery. so that they are
now being produced In adequate mum.
bcrs.
The first thing that SGT OH edge the
teeth OF tho oid-tmers in the depart
nent and OF the whole lingo crowd IN
Washington, was the discovery that the
secretary was in some degree OF sym
pathy with the peace sentiments of Mr.
bryan: that they could not depend upon
him TO shout for Il wide-open militarist
policy OF battleship building and de-
mand vast expenditure for armament
ana ammunition.
They fairly foamed at the mouth
during the critical stages OF the anti
Japanese land agitation in California
because not one naval vessel of any sort
was allowed To lift an anchor or turn a
propeller during those tense days. They
blamed Daniels for that; but he was only
carrying out in good faith the specific
personal orders of the President.
InsuItcd by the Wine Order.
Irritation neared the point OF open in
surrection when the famous wine
order" was issued, and the navy was nut
on grape juice basis" Whether or
not this revolutionary measure WAS
Danicls's own idea. or was, as this writ
on suspects, really rathered by Mr.
Bryan and adopted by Daniels, albei,
willingly enough; the Developments Of
the present war In respect Of liquor
have put the whole matter on a mighty
dinerent footing. In point of fact, the
dissatisfaction with the new order of
things has largely died out. It is recoG-
nized now in the navy that absolute So
briefly makes for efficiency. and the
order is obeycd, especially on ship
board. There are rumors of we'll stocked
cellars at certain OF the navy-yards.
+ But even though the grumbling over
the order itself has died out, the Off
GERS still nurse the sting with which II
was received. They regarded themselves
ms insultcd by the implication OF drunk
enness. and they have not forgiven II.
They might have taken il swectIy from.
IL Dewey or Schley; they bitterly re-
scented ii coming from a landlubber
newspaper editor out of the back hills
of North Carolina.
lhen there was the educational work
with the enlisted men, to which Secrc-
tary Daniels has given his whole heart.
| Ills philosophy I'm this matter is not
only sound, but convincingly so, and
the navy would not have objected to it
so much, per Sc. had the secretary not
made 1t the occasion and vehicle for az
fronting the entire caste system which
Is inbred i'm naval officers the world
over. Some OF Mr.. Daniels's pcrform-
ances In this connection have passed the
point of being silly.
For the civilian Secretary of the Navy
TO DO photographed wearing an officers
uniform cap. and with his arms about
the shoulders OF two enlisted men. may
be an earnest OF the most commendabIv
democratic spirit; hut IT vcrgcs upon
the theatrical and scarcely can be re.
garded as a tactful measure for cult
waiting either affection among officers
for the secretary himself, or the de-
sired spirit as between officers and en-
! listed men.