The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-05-19
Dewey LAUDS navy
DANIELS ANSWERS CRITICS AT
NEW YORK BANQUET
NAVY NOT LARGE enough

NAVY NOT LARGE enough
Secretary Says Review is the Begin
ming Of a Policy Of Expansion ant
erment-Denounces the State
meuts of the National Security
League Circulars.
Officers Of the Atlantic fleet assem-
bled at New York Saturday night al
q dinner in their honor heard Secre'
tary Josephus Daniels defend the
navy as efficient and prepared Iol
war and promise that the administra'
ton, with the support Of the people
would make it more powerful and
more efficient.
Mr.. Daniels answered the nayy's
critics, particularly the National Sc
curity League, which recently made
public an open letter declaring that
investigation disclosed that the navy
was inadequate and unprepared fol
war.
with the praise of a great city
ringing in our ears said the secre-
tary, with our mighty ships in all
their splendid strength lying just out
side; in this hour of natural and par
donable exultation in our great navy,
as the head Of that navy / feel II
right to utter a word Of warning
lest we forget those who may feel
inclined to rest too sure on this Wis
ible and outward display Of our
strength and at the same time to
speak a word Of promise and cheer to
those who, perhaps, have looked too
despondently upon the task that still
lies before US in our efforts to reach
as near as possible to perfection.
"Our navy is good: it is not good
enough. With your help, as long as
I am secretary of the navy, we will
all try to make it better. The navy
is strong; it is not strong enough.
With the help of the whole American
people. with the help Of q congress
and an administration thoroughly
committed to the policy Of taking
leave to be strong upon the seas we
will make it stronger.
"This review is not the end Of a
century's labors. We do not here ex-
hibit our completed work. Rather.
we here begin a new era, supported
by the chief executive and by an en-
lightened and progressive congress,
which gave evidence of its faith in q
strong navy by the passage of the
best navy bill in the history Of your
country.
eve are entering upon an era Of
progress such as the navy has never
known before, whose keynote will be
onward and whose watchword Will be
forward-an era marked by the lift
ing Of our navy out OF politics and by
the suhoroination of all things afloat
or ashore to the efficiency of the fleet
., in order that by our very strength We
may be able to demand the right to
live at peace with all the world.
"You have seen-and lately you
have heard far too much-of the pet
rifled pessimist who visits one Of our
leviathians of power with sour and
disappointed visage, looking for
something upon which he can hang a
tale of woe and wall jeremiad.
s'The navy and its head have been
a target of much criticism Of late,
some from those honest in their be-
hefs, but sadly ignorant or misin-
formed, and much from purely parti-
san and political sources which had
no interest in facts whatever. AS for
such criticisms as concerned myself
have kept silent. Time must justify,
or time condemn.
"The splendid condition Of the
ships for which you are responsible;
the splendid discipline Of the crews
which you have established, make to-
day a far better answer than any
thing could be able to say. AS they
ride tonight at their anchors on the
river let them stand as their own
spokesmen, and rejoice that it is my
pleasure to greet here tonight the
commandments Of the Atlantic
fleet, Admiral Fletcher.
"a few days ago a new organiza-
tion, bearing the name Of the Nation
al Security League, issued an open
letter announcing the result Of in
vestigations,' and published to the
world this statement:
Investigation discloses, it is as
serted, that the navy is neither ade-
Quate nor prepared for war; that it is
inadecuately manned, is short of am
munition and has no organized re
serve Of trained men; the submarine
flotilla exists chiefly on paper; that
fast scout cruisers, battle cruisers
aeroplanes, mine-layers, supply ships
and transports are lacking and that
target practice has been neglected OF
altogether omitted
IF the gentlemen who signed the
above libel of the navy had known
the real truth their signatures would
never have been appended. If the!
had not been misled and misinformec
they would have written instead:
Investigation discloses that th'
navy is efficient and prepared TO
war; that our ships are well manned
that the supply Of munitions is vastl!
Ildu CNSl OC1O1St c@3N S4-S W
pacity doubled; that the last congress
authorized naval reserve which i
in process Of organization: that VI
have seventy-four submarines author
lied. built or building, which are tn
equal Of those of any other country
and that one flotilla of submarine
has just completed remarkable lon:
distance run; that we recognize tn
need for more fast light cruisers
that we have lately ordered eigh
aeroplanes and dirigible out Of
million dollars specially appropriate
by the last congress for aviation
that within the last two years tn
navy's mine equipment has bee
more than doubled; that We are add
ing yearly to our forco Of auXiliaries
while more time has been devote
this year to target practice and man
oeuvres than in many years past. "
are proud Of our navy as it is. "
are resolved to give our cooperate
in making it better and greater