The Washington herald., 1915-01-03

next time, gentle reader, you hear aboud
our fleet of thirty-three battleships, ask
how many of those battleships are in
cold storage today with fragmentary
crews or no crews at all.
You will lind that no less than
twelve of them are launched on their
way to that bourne whence no traveller
returns. Naval authorities euphOniOusly
term the three stages of a warship's
road to oblivion as in reserve in ordi-
nary and out of commission
ITO he sure, those same naval authori-
ties gravely inform us that our cold
storage fleet can be got ready for battle
in from three to twelve months, but they
are put TO it to explain exactly what the
resuscitated veterans would be good for
when ready for battle. BY the way, for
fear that these twelve battleships should
feel lonely, there are nearly eighty more
Of our fighting craft out of commission
or in ordinary or in reserve to keep
them company.
Eight BattIeshIpS Next March.
PERHAPS you are saying to yourselves,
Even if twelve battleships out of thirty
three are out of the game, that still
leaves a mighty tidy fleet But how
about the other twenty-one battleships
which constitute our fighting force? Are
they 100 percenters? Not by long shot
Ten Of them belong to the so-called first
line and eleven of them belong to the So
called second line. OF the first liners two
ships to wit, the Michigan and South
Carolina, are to be relegated to the sec
ond line on March 8, 1915. The honest
fact is that on March 4, 1915 We shall
have just eight first-class battleships in
full commission. Now, where is the COM
mon sense in pratinG about our thirty
three battleships?
IF any one tells you that our second
line of battleships is a formidable part
of our defense just pin him down and
find out how he makes that fact out 1
have heard n navy official testify that
the second line would be some use If our
first line was destroyed and the other
fellows first line was destroyed as well.
So would be police force of octoge-
narians be of service IL policemen were
not called upon to handle any criminals
under eighty years old. In private most
naval officers regard our second liners as
an admirable force wherewith to soothe
the nerves of the timid in case of war.
Perchance for that purpose they might
be as useful as the venerable culverIns
hastily installed at sundry places on the
Atlantic coast at the outbreak OF the
Spanish war. It would be cheaper, how
ever, for Uncle sam. when he puts his
war paint on, to conduct a daily clinic
for the free administration OF anaes-
thetiCs.
yet the general board of the navy
says that we need fOrty-eight battleships
under twenty years old for our defense.
For our defense against what nation?
For our defense against any nation, eX-
cept England, so We are told.
ASK any member OF that general board
which he would rather have-a fleet Of
forty eight batt!eships ranging in age
from twenty years old down to brand
new. or a fleet of twenty-four battleships,
all of them less than six years old.
What the American people want. in
my opinion. is navy up to date, even il
it is necessary TO enlarge the scrap heap
to an extent which would make the bu-
reau chiefs hair curl IL you could find
any bureau chiefs with the requisite
quantity of thatch for curling purposes.
Crux of the Problem.
Permit this ignoramus to make sug-
gestion.
First, appoint an Independent COM
mission OF leveI-headed men and see to
it that not too many of them are imbued
with the idea that they know it all about
the national defense.
Next, require that commission to sum-
mon the best naval experts We have and
find out what war vessels we need TO
make us safe against any nation on
earth. and how many OF those vessels is
it safe to put in reserve that is to say,
with skeleton crews?
Now, if il is decided that We are aim
ing too high in taking leave to ask for
a navy capable of swapping shots with
John Bull. why then we can cut down
the estimates accordingly: but, for
heavens sake, let us know the truth.
The problem as to the number of
ships which we can safely keep in re
serve depends very largely on these two
factors: How long does it take to make
a Iandlubber into man-Of-war's man,
and how many former men-of-war's men,
trained. can be depended on
TO return TO the navy in time of war?
"On those two questions l should as
leave have the opinion Of a few intelli-
gent Junior officers and enlisted men as