New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-26
DANIELS IN MAINE
0.K.'STHE NAVY
He Says No One Can Ask
Same Questions as Often
as Gardner.

Milbridge, Me-. Aug. 25.-Secre..r,
Of the Navy Daniels delivered here "a.
night the first Of q series Of speecb.,
he will make in this state during n.
next few days, which mark his en.r,
into the campaign for the reelection a,
President Wilson. While he toueh.a
on other topics. he devoted himself
particularly to answering charges MAD.
by Representative A. p. Gardner a,
Massachusetts,, who has been the See.
retary's chief critic in Congress.
Mr.. Daniels referred 70 q seri., a,
thirteen questions regarding the I'd.
ministration Of the navy which Mr.
Gardner propounded TO the Secretary
in a letter, saying that all Of them
had been asked by Mr.. Gardnx and
answered satisfactorily by the Nan
Department many times.
There are doubtless people vhs
are able TO ask more questions than
Mr.. Gardner" the Secretary said, "bu,
I doubt II any one has ever asked the
same questions so many times with.
out paying the slightest attention 10
the answers. l have done everything
but sing them to him, and while good.
ness knows am no singer, IL I thought
that by so doing could get him 70
stop asking questions long enough to
listen to the answers l would gladly
set them TO music"
Gunnery Never Better.
Answering one Of Mr. Gardner,
questions, which alleged that twelve
of the twenty-one battleships In the
feet recorded unsatisfactory scores IN
the 1914 battle practice, the Secretary
produced q letter from Captain c. P.
Plunkett, director Of gunnery exer.
cises, who said of his twenty years
: experience in the navy;
81 know of no time during that
period when the enemies Of our coun.
/ try had more 10 fear from the bat
teries of our feet than they have to-
day" -,
Of criticism" the gunnery director
wrote, referring to Mr.. Gardner's cues.
ton, land believe that it will under.
mine the confidence Of the people In
the feet and the confidence of the fee.
people in their ships and in the officers
who are charged with the responsibility
Of the preparation Of the feet for war.
al consider such criticisms and at
tacks on our target practice and the
publication of the facts in connection
| Herewith have been OF the greatest
use to every enemy Of the government
both in our own country and abroad.
New Torpedocs Turned Out.
Another question dealt with the type
of torpedoes with which battleshlps
were equipped. Mr.. Gardner asserting
! that those in use in 1914 had been de-
clared obsolete by navy ordnance Of
/ fcials. He asked If the Secretary
knew this when he issued his 1914 re-
port. >. IL.
ready manufacturing long range tor
nesoes 70 take their places" Mr. Dan
iels said. adding that these facts also
had been contained in his own report
ard that OF the Chief Of Ordnance, 70
which Mr. Gardner referred.
az am also glad to inform him, ne
continued. shat since then all the
dreadnoughts in commission nave oseH
equipped with these new torpedoes.
eP The Secretary rcfuted Mr.. Gardner:
assertions that there had been undue
dsIay in the completion of navy ships
of various types now under cOnstr 1's
ton. Labor conditions made i di.
fcult TO hasten this work, he SAID, pu.
the department was doing all in its i,
mower In this regard, and had plans io'
the 1917 ships ready before Congress
had passed the appropriation bill a.
thorizing their construction.