Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-07-09
IS ABLE AND
225 CRAFT READY
Submarine FlOtiIla Will Soon
Be Augmented by Thirty
eight BOats-Many
Reserve Ships.

In commission In reserve are the bat
tleships Alabama and the Maine; the
armored cruisers San Diego, West Viz
Rinia and South Dakota; the cruisers
BROOKLYN. Charleston, Milwaukee, st.
Louis, Chicago, Albany, Marblehead.
Montgomery and Salem. Destroyers,
monitors and gunboats are also In this
class.
Out Of commission temporarily are
the battleships Indiana, Iowa and Mas
sachusetts and several cruisers, de-
stroyers and gunboats.
In a recent letter from Josephus Dan
iels, secretary Of the navy. to Presi-
dent Garfield of Williams college, In
regard to the progress of the navy In
recent years, Mr.. Daniels stated the
following in part:
Under the direction OF Admiral
Fletcher, upon plans evolved at the
Naval War college and approved by the
department, the feet has been busted
In tactics to try out its efficiency and
readiness. All reports tell OF the en-
thusiasm of officers and men In this
practice and the splendid record made
by the ships.
"~Strenuous Praotice.D
'The spring practice followed close
upon the heels of valuable maneuvers
and tactics In October, November and
December last. This was indeed siren
uous practice, but it is the way the
navy is kept fit and ready, and the
new admiral In command of the feet
and the department planned such e K
tensive %evolutions because the only
way that the navy can be always pre-
pared is by practice. and practice, and
then more practice.
'"This simple statement of the opera
lions of the aeet since October is one
Of the best answers l can give to your
question as to the navy's preparedness.
The necessity of keeping ships In Mex
leo last year denied Admiral Badger
the opportunity for as long practice as
he had wisely planned. but the sudden
call for the expedition to Vera Cruz
demanded and exacted unusual service.
to which the fleet responded with an
alacrity and readiness which amply
justify the faith of the country that
there exists today no more efficient In
stitution than the United States navy.
'Some critics have said the efficiency
of the feet was reduced by reason of
going to Vera Cruz. To our regret.
certain and target practice
of value were necessarily omitted
The emergency experience, however. of
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greater value In one important respect
than the we'll planned routine. because
It gave a demonstration of the readi-
ness of the navy in every department.
af1oat and ashore. to meet an urgent
call.
Its FIexibiIity.
Its iexibility was shown in adjust
ing itself to entirely new and unex-
pected situations, as well as its re-
markable adaptability In handling ev-
cry problem presented to it.
1T must be conceded by all that the
best school and preparation for war is
war itself, and it was almost under
this condition that our fleet acted in
proceeding almost in a day to Mexican
waters. The stay at Vera Cruz, how
ever, did not prevent practice, for the
ships, individually or in divisions, dur
ing a great part of the time held tacti-
cal maneuvers, torpedo proving prac-
tice and subcaliber drills in prepara-
ton for target practice.
"FOr many years officers have writ
ten and talked about the formation of
advance base material and the prac-
tice of exercising landing parties of
seamen and marines in the use of this
important adjunct to naval warfare.
Congress appropriated money for this
important plan of campaign, but never
until January of last year was the
navy thus exercised.
'There had been plenty of talk, but
not until January of last year was 1t
undertaken Then, under instructions
from the department, Admiral Badger
carried out a comprehensive exercise
In which the professional advantages
gained by officers and men were ines
Unable.
Three months after this extensive
practice had been given for the first
time in our navy the same fleet and
the same men were called upon to land
at Vera Cruz, and in the taking Of that
city the navy carried out under fire
what had been learned at Culebra.
$~7o,ooo,ooo For the Navy.
During the first two years Of the
Wilson administration upon my recon-
mendation congress authorized the con-
struction of five Dreadnoughts, to cost
about $14,000,O00 each. Stated In dol
lars, the Wilson administration in its
first two years authorized $70,OOO,OOO
to be spent on the chief fighting force
of the navy.
"As to submarines, these wonderful
agencies of war have astonished the
world in the present European conflict
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