Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-05-03
George Won [, Meyer Finds
Much to CriticlSe in Letter
of Secretary of Navy to
College President,
POLICIES DENOUNCED
WITH MUCH BITTERNESS
Democrats Arraigned for Poll
cy Of Economy Which
Leaves Forces Afl0at With
out Fast Battle Cruisers,

! lay MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LgAsGn wiRrl
Boston, May 2.-Former Secretary
OF the Navy George Won l.. Meyer
made public tonight a statement re-
viewing THE open letter from Secretary
Of ths Navy Daniels to President Gar
field of Williams college. concerning
the present status Of the naval equip
ment of the United States. Mr., Meyer
opens with the statement that Seere-
( tary Daniels discussion OF this sub
/ iect "leavcs much to be desired In the
way OF information. The statement
follows
The secretary neglects to state,
when he refers to the last two years
of the Taft administration, that the
house Of representatives,, which origi-
mates appropriations, was In control
OF the democrats on account OF the
bye-elections: that they went into
caucus and voted no battleships. lt
was on the issue that no party could
afford to caucus on patriotism. placed
before the people by some of the lead
ing papers at nay request, that we
broke the caucus and obtained, very
grudgingly, from the democrats one
battleshD for each of the remaining
two years.
War a Powerful Influence.
THE war and the campaign of edu-
cation on national defense has intlu-
enced congress IN making more lib
eral appropriations, but the third bat
tleship Mr.. Daniels obtained was made
possible by the sale of the Idaho and
Mississippi to Greece, using the fund
derived from this transaction for an
additional dreadnaught. But the Idaho
and Mississippi were both modern
ships, built in 1904, and while Presi-
dent Wilson's sale was a good busi-
ness transaction, ii will not. appar-
emily, Increase our tonnage 1t should
also be noted that the Indiana, Mas
sachusetts and oregon can no longer
be included in our tonnage list that
the Iowa, Koarsarge Kentucky and
Alabama Will reach their age limit In
1916, while the Illinois, Wisconsin,
Maine, Ohio and Missouri are due for
replacement by 1920, as battleships
become obsolete in twenty years. II
is obvious. therefore, that a policy
pursued according to this years pro-
gram of two battleships with certain
auxiliaries, no scout cruisers and no
battle cruisers, will lead nowhere II !
it Is the real purpose of the nation to !
have an adequate navy, for we are
not even following program Of new
AOH1li hiNfOl liNt1uiu W ItDldCt tHOft /
vessels which have been or will soon /
be condemned because unfit for SER I
vice on account of age.
Navy Maximum Too Low.
While. as the secretary has stated, I
the navy is today recruited to its
maximum strength (Which is due to
the decreased demand for labor in va
rious lines of trade throughout the
United States), yet the commander
in-chief of the fleet, in Il communica-
ton TO the naval academy, gives the
opinion that the fleet lacks in its COM
plete equipment about 5000 men and
d number of officers. To put all the
ships in commission that could be
useful in time of war, would require
$4,000 additional men and many off
cers, according to Admiral Badger in
his evidence before the naval COM
n1ttee this winter; and yet, in his
letter the secretary assures the public
that the navy in 1916 is larger, better
equipped and in better condition than
In any previous year while experts
know that this Is impossible, since
many of the battleships have been re-
Lained so long in Mexico that fleet
vital for efficiency has
been terribly hampered and inter-
fered with.
speed. Range, Armament Important.
The naval conflicts of the Euro
,ean war have emphasized the inn
,ortance of speed range and arma-
nent. The Bluechcr, faster lhan any i
If our ships. was destroyed because
he was slower than any Of the other
hips in the conflict. Yet We are
no fast cruisers or battle
'ruisers- The secretary in his en-
husiasm over our 14-inch guns, ]
which he says will shoot farther,
moot straighter and hit harder than ]
my naval gun now In use. overlooks I
he fact that Japan has in commits
ION and building eight naval ships /
With 14-inch guns probably as good :
s our l4-inch guns, and that England
las The Queen Elizabeth in commits {
ION with 15-inch guns. a battleship |
Il over 1000 tons, with speed Of !
twenty-five knots. and nine other can d
tai ships building with 15-inch guns.
The war has demonstrated the (
eed md value OF air craft The gem 1
raj board recommended the appro-
riation of five millions Of dollars. &
ut only one-fifth Of the amount was :
btained +
In the view of the increasing num- 7 /
er Of submarines and the accident in i
idWdii tnSfe Is urgent necessity for i
esting and wrecking docks that may c
G used for salving submarines OF any
lze. docking submarines and testing =
, determining the resistance TO ex- +
arnal water pressure. Two docks OF Il
his description wiz be required for a
ne Atlantic and two for the Pacific.
supply ships Needed ii
Upon the efficacy of the supply Fl
aIps depends the efficacy OF the fleet. v
ne Importance OF supply ships has .
$50 peen demonstrated In this war. 2
me was authorized IN 1918. It would =
ave been nearly completed bv This r
me II built under contract. but Il is Il
be constructed in one of our navy /,
ards, and IL has not yet been laid a
own.
Without ample coal and oil stor- r