El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-04-26

the same size and type which have done
such fearful execution in the present
war. These submarines will cost S16.-
{ 100000 Now what was done during the
last two years under Taft2 Twelve sub
marines. to cost $7,958,936 were au-
. thOrized. Some Of our submarines are
not as perfect as they should be. nor
are the submarines of any other ma
I ton Under this administration, how
, ever, the board Of inspections has
adopted stricter tests before accepting
submarines from contractors Nobody
has as yet, perfected a satisfactory
engine or satisfactory battery for sub
marines.
Upon my invitation. Mr. Edison. last
year, at the New York navy yard, went
down into a submarine and closely
studied its every feature. He thinks he
has a battery that will meet the need
our tests at the Brooklyn navy yard
cause US to believe Mr.. Edison has the
right principle. Without waiting for
the completion of his battery, he has
been given an order for two, one TO
be put into an old submarine, accepted
before March T. 1913. whose battery
does not give satisfaction, and one for
new submarine which 1 have ordered
built in the Portsmouth On H navy
yard Private firms building sUbma-
rlnes have not. given entire satisfaction
We have equipped the Portsmouth navy
yard to build submarines, and by com
petition between private and govern
cry obstacle may be overcome
Torpedo Plant Enlarged.
Third, as to tOrpedOes: A statement
has been put in circulation that the
navy is not making adequate provision
TO supply itself with torpedOes. The
only answer ] can make is to state
the fact that we either have on hand
or have placed orders for all the tor
pedoes the general board prescribes- Is
this administration going backward in
this respect2 It would not be proper
to make public the number of tOrpedOes
we have on hand but this much may be
said: For every 100 tOrpedoes which the
department had on hand in March 1913.
50 more are completed or in course Of
manufacture. Therefore, within a few
months, the supply Of torpedoes will be
almost doubled Upon my recOmmen-
datiOn, congress has enlarged the tor
pedO plant at Newport, r J., more than
doubling its capacity. and the cost Of
manufacturing torpedoes has been re-
duced from S4,202.11 to S3,245.72 each.
The reduction has already effected a
saving Of S326.700.
The department has begun the manu-
facture Of mines and in a short time
viii have 81 mines for every nine 1t
had two years ago, increasing our stock Z
Pa percent By manufacturing mines
at a government station in lieu Of pur-
chasing a saving Of S17S,750 has been !
effected
L. :. Has Best Guns.
"As to gunss The bureau Of ordnance l
has developed a IA inch gun that will I
shoot farther, shoot straighter and hit !
harder than any gun now in use or |
known to be designed by a foreign !
country. Based upon former and cur 4
rent prices in contracts for guns and /
guns forg.ngs we have saved $780, I
1858.
las to powder. Upon my recommen- ]
datiOn, congress increased the capacity ]
of the navy power factory at indian D
Head When the extension now under I
nearly doubled. The cost Of manufac- I
ture has incidentally been reduced 81 /
cents per pound. saving already in the 4
cost of powder since manufactured. |
$4,000.
Radio Equipment.
'As to radio: Radio has at last been /
successfully installed on submarines,
and more than IS other ships, which I
either had no radio or whose equip 4
meut was obsolete. have been supplied I
ly new shore stations have been added Z
to the chain: Balboa (canal zone). Great r
Lakes. Ill, and Tutuila, Samoa
Development of Aviation.
las to aircraft The European war
has emphasized the value Of aircraft
The navy has Jagged behind I'm this in
strument Of war Last year / appointed 8
a board Of aviation It recommended 3
the utilization OF the abandoned navy
yard at Pensacola as a training and
repair station for aviation, and an avi-
alton bureau in the department This
has been done. Upon my earnest recon-
mendauon, congress appropriated [.
s 100000 to begin, upon an elaborate
plan, the real development Of aviation Z
IN the navy II also approved my re-
quest TO pay avlators an increase Of 50
percent and we are organizing q class
II capable aviatOrs. To make immedi-
ltely effective this feature. three new
ydrO-aeroplanes have Just been pur-
chased. which is but the beginning Of
~ faaH ION nall
RANGED along the lines Of a Wen con-
5idered plan
Promotions for Enlisted Men.
But Of what worth is a ship with
Tut well trained menu What has the
Wilson administration done as TO per-
ionnel? 1t is a pleasure TO tell you
hat for the first time in years the en-
istment is I'D to the limit prescribed D
~ law and part Of the year we have
lad waiting list Since 7 became sec
'etary Of the navy we have increased /
he enlistment 1924 men, enabling US to |
fully 20 submarines four Z
)Oauss one battleship. six cruisers and
hree monitors, increasing the total I
lumber Of commissioned vessels by Al
'Ver the number commissioned on I
Iareh /. 1913. / regard this as a great
achievement, particularly since the
lavy had not formerly been able to T
ecure enough men to fill the quota 1t
las been secured. too, without letting
las been maintained, and even raised.
Tor every recruit accepted, five were !
elected because they did not come I'd {
o our high standard. To what is the
Increase of our enlistments attributed2 /
The answer is easy; To the establish
nent Of schools. opportunity to see the
world, and for promotion afforded en-
isted men hitherto denied them In l
hese two years 13 enlisted men have I
cen appointed as assistant pavmas-
ers; five as midshipmen at ANNAPOLIS
nd u as ensigns. 1t is true that prior
o the Wilson administration il was
ossible for an enlisted man to be pro-
noted to be ensign, but in the four
ears of the Taft administration only
hree were promoted while in the two
ears of the Wilson administration IL
ave qualified How does this haDpeua
he new policy Of education and as
lstance was put into operation in 1913. /
low every ambitious and aspiring
Dung enlisted man is given special in
truction when he desires it 1t Is trIs
oday as never before that a bov NAV
Mist in the navy and by the display Of !
bllty be promoted to the grade Of ad-
llraL While reenlistments haze in
reased u percent desertions have de
reased II percent Another incentive
o enlistment is the new policy which
-aNes an open door to young men to
#Hnan Co.