East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-07-05
NAVY THAT WILL Be
SUPPORTING Is
DREAM OF DANIELS
SHOULD MAKE ITS OWN BATTLE
SHIPS AND ALL ITS OTHER
SUPPLIES.
BY Manufacturing Its own Supplies,
Says secretary the Navy VIII be In.
dependent OF Private Concerns and
VIII Avoid Being "Held Up" il
Prices for Materials
BY RoND P. GEDpEs.


battleshlps, torpedo boats. subma-
rlnes. torpedoes, proiectlles armor
plate powder and all war supplies. is
the ideal Of Secretary Of the Navy
Daniels.
Today he outlined to me his hopes
Of a naval utopia He believes It
Is not only possible but probable that
with proper financial assistance and
approval from congress. realization Of
his plans may be reached before the
end Of the present administration.
"Of course we never expect TO
manufacture all Of our own materials
for the navy. we will probably always
buy a certain amount Of supplies
needed. but 1t is my hope that the
navy will be equipped to make in part
all of the supplies 1t uses,'' Secretary
Daniels stated
"By manufacturing our own sup
plies we are not only largely inde-
pendent of private manufacturers,
aboid being held up in prices. but
also destroy the incentive Of private
manufacturing interest to bring pres
sure upon congress for large appro-
prlations in the interest of the private
profit"
II is Secretary Daniels idea that
If the nav is equipped to make its
own supplies, private manufacturers
will not, when congress comes to ap-
propriating money for them. feel
that as matter Of course the con-
tracts will be let to them. 1t would
then be uncertain whether the money
would be spent in government navy
yards or private manufacturing
plants The "hounding' Of congress
for large appropriations would then
be largely avoided.
Secretary Daniels pointed out that
the effects of such an administrative
plan were already seen.
Before the government began to
manufacture its own powder we paid
as high as eighty cents a pound TO
private manufacturers he said. "The
price was brought down to fifty-six
cents. This was largely because the
navy founnd out just exactly what It
cost to make powder. We then knew
what was a proper price to pay with
proper profit to the manufacturer.
by making all of our own supplies
we will In the same way he able TO
ascertain just what they cost-and
just what profit private manufacturers
are making on supplies sold to the
navy"
Secretary Daniels said his plans did
not embrace a government monop-
oily in making navy supplies. similar
to those of foreign nations. He mere
ly proposes that the navy make part
of each and every article important
to its sustenance.
"Soon we shall have sufficient ca
pacity in our own powder plants"
he said, ito supply all the ships and
keep up reserves supplies-on the
present footing of the navy, OF
course"
In case of war Daniels admits. ii
would be necessary for the navy to
purchase a great part of its powder
to become naval auxiliaries. The ca
pacity of the powder plant at Indian
Head, Nd. on the Potomac river a
few miles below Washington, will be
doubled within a short time. accord
ing to the navy's head. The torpe-
do projectile plant at Newport, r. l.,
will also be doubled in output capac-
ity. he stated. incidentally he is
keeping in touch with both plants by
personal visits.
In carrying out his plan for self
supporting" navy in regard to powder
and projeetiles, the secretary has
more ambitious plans for the govern
ment in constructing its own dread
noughts He hopes to build one of
the new dreadnoughts congress may
authorize next winter at the league
navy yard at Philadelphia. The
Brooklyn navy yard has already quail
flied in this respect in the recent con-
struction of the battleship New York.
Incidentally, she was completed four
and a half months earlier than her
sister ship. the Texas, built by private
contractors.
The new battleshlps Arizona and
California are also achievements Of
government employees at the Brooklyn
yard. Submarines are also being
built in the governments own yards
as well as fuel and supply ships.
Construction of ships In navy
yards justifies an enlargement of
that policy" says Secretary Daniels.
ut was discouraged formerly because
by an unwise system of accounting,
overhead charges, in nowise properly
chargeahle against new construction,
were added to the actual cost Of con-
struction. This made 1t appear that
ships built in navy yards cost more
than in private yards, and the facts
were not in accordance with that ap-
pearance. In fact. taken as a whole
the contrary is true