New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-04
Our Josephusized Navy.


The resignation of Rear Admiral Brad
lev A. Fiske as Aid for Operations IN the
NAVY Department will be regretted by
every one who has the welfare and eff
cheney of the navy at heart. The situation
which forced it has not grown out OF
merely personal issue between the admiral
and Secretary Daniels.
The trouble goes deeper than that. IL
concerns the navy as whole-its organl-
zation, its training, its readiness Tor
actual service and its value as the FIRST
line of national defence. The clash which
led TO the admirals request to be relieved
from duty as the Secretary's most impor-
tant aid is at bottom the clash between
sound ideals Of naval policy and unsound
ones. The incident is only one more evil
dence of the disorganization wrought In
the navy since it became, under ITS
present civilian head, the victim of unln-
structed self-confidence and amateurish
experiment.
As an officer of intelligence and expe-
rience Admiral Fiske is keenly alive TO
the defects in administration and the
errors in military policy which have kept
the navy-excelent as it is IN many re-
spects-from measuring up to proper
standards of all-'round efficiency. lie
knows that the only real test Of navy
IS preparedness for war-the capacity toI
discharge the tasks which a great emer-
gencv may suddenly put upon 1t. 1t must
have not alone d respectable number OF
good fighting units and a personnel COM
petent to handle a fair proportion OF
them. Il must have a roundabout estab-
ishment. with reserve squadrons ready
for duty on short notice, with auXllarles
of all sorts. with adequate bases and sup
plies. and with a reserve of trained sea
men to make good the first lines losses.
If must have. moreover, a centralized con-
troll. which has thought out its strategy
in advance and is prepared to assume
entire responsibility for military opera
tions.
These conditions of preparedness are
essential to success In modern war, IN
which operations have become so compll-
Gated. and the strength of navy depends
more than ever before on the co-ordlna-
ton of all its elements into unified tight
ing force. But how could conceptions
which to Admiral Fiske and trained Off
GERS Of his class are the A b { OF naval
policy be expected to appeal to an admin
istrator like Mr.. Daniels? A navy tit toI
do the nations work and to discharge the
political obligations which we have as
sumed under the Monroe Doctrine Is the
last thing which weighs upon his mind. 1t.
will be glory enough for him if, as he
SAYS on those occasions in which he I'M
bosoms himself Of his peculiar philosophy,
he can become the head of the greatest
university afoat, if he can divert the navy
from its real military functions In order to
make it costly and useless annex to the
public school system.
Admiral Fiske testified before the
House Committee on Naval Affairs last
winter that it would require three years
TO put our fleet into condition to meet
the feet of any other first class power, and
five years to bring the personnel into
proper condition. He told the truth, as
every competent naval authority knows.
But by doing so he sacrificed his career
under the administration of Mr.. Daniels
who believes in CLOSING over naval def
ciencies and trusting to Providence that
we shall never have to use the navy except
for ordinary police duties.
At Mr.. Daniess solicitation Congress
defeated a plan for creating in the Bureau
of Operations an equivalent of a General
staff Of the Navy. There is to be such
bureau; but it is to be as subordinate to
him as the other department bureaus are.
While ne remains in office we shall have
no general staff and little Of the work
will be done which a general staff ought
TO do. There will be scant room about
the department, therefore, for men of in
telligence, courage and constructive ability
that type represented by Admiral Fiske.
The latter's retirement is therefore
logical But when, fortunately, we get
rid of Danielsism and begin to make the
navy in all respects what ii should be,
there will be both room and honor for
officers of Admiral Fishes independence
and capacity.