Bisbee daily review., 1915-04-29

work are pursued with the aim of con tinued improvement. If the fleet was efficient in any degree before Admin als Badger and Fletcher carried out tho drills thus detailed, it is much more efficient today and will be made more ready every year All that capa. ble and trained officers and men cat do Go accomplish this steady improve ment is being done Only the un- informed or the partisan deny the steady improvement Of the past two years, thanks chiefly to Rear Admiral Badger and Admiral Fletcher
 But, you say how about equip
 ment and preparation for military emergencies? What has been done since Wilson's inauguration to make the navy stronger in ships, in ammu- milton, in mines in torpedoes? Those questions are of the utmost import ance, Let me answer them briefly
 First, as to ships: During the last two years of the Taft administration congress authorized the construction of two dreadnoughts to cost about S13.00O,OO0 each During the first two years of the Wilson administration. upon my recommendation, congress authorized the construction of five dreadnaughts to cost about S14,OO0 900 each. Stated in dollars, the Will son administration in its first two years authorized about seventy million dollars to be spent on the chief fight ing force of the navy. as against twen ty-six million authorized during the last two years of Tafts; as stated in numbers it authorized five dread naughts instead of two; and stated in effectiveness the five dreadnaughts authorized under Wilson will mount thirty six mere Fourt een-inch guns than th etwo authorized under Mr. Taft.
 Second, as to submarines: These wonderful agencies of war have as- tonished the world in the present Eu ropean conflict The sixty-third con gross, elected with Mr. Wilson, adopt ed my recommendation to give us an the money it could for submarines It ordered the construction of three seagoing submarines, the largest ever authorized by any country, and 23 submarines of the same size and type which have done such fearful execu- tion in the present war. These sub marines will cost Sl6,260O0O Now what was done during the last two years under Taft? Twelve submarines, to cost $795S.936, were authorized. Some of our submarines are not as perfect as they should, be. nor are the submarines of any other nation Un- der this administration. however, the Board of Inspections has adopted stucter tests before accepting sub marines from contractors Nobody has as yet, perfected @ satisfactory en zine or satisfactory battery for sub marines. Upon my invitation Mr. Edison, last year at the New Yorr navy yard, went down into a sub marine and closely studied its every feature He thinks he has bat tery that will meet the need. Our tests at the Brooklyn navy yard cause us Co believe Mir Edison has the right principle Without waiting for the completion Of his battery, he has been given an order for two, one to be put into an old submarine, accepted before March 4, 1913, whose battery does not give satisfaction, and one for a new submarine which | have ordered built i'm Don Private firms building submarines
 have not given entire satisfaction We have equipped the Portsmouth navy yard to build submarines ano by competition between private and gov ernment construction it is hoped that every obstacle may be overcome.
 Third. as to torpedoes: A state, ment has been put in circulation that the navy is not making adequate pro vision to supply itself with torpedoes. The only answer l can make is to state the fact that We either have on hand or have placed orders for. all the torpedoes the general board prescribes. Is this administration go ing backward in this respect? lt would not be proper 10 make public the number of torpedoes we have on hand but this much may be said
 For every one hundred torpodoes which the department had on hand in March, 1913, ninety-six more are com peted or in course of manufacture Therefore, within a few months the supply of torpedoes will be almost
 doubled Upon my accommodation congress has enlarged the torpedo plant at Newport. R I more chan treblng its capacity and the cost oi manufacturing torpedoes has been re- duced from S42O2.11 to S3,245.72 each. The reduction already has effected a saving of S326. .7O0
 As to mines and mining: During the last two years unprecedented pro gress has been made in the expansion Of our mining equipment. This was begun and was we'll under way before the last congres met The navy is not as many suppose charged with the ! r,fufuo of our harhorq That fe