New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-28
Secretary Quotes Figures
to Show Great Strides
Made in 3 Years.
WAR FORCED u. S.
INTO SIXTH PLACE
Personnel Increased, Tar
get Practice Better and
Airships Added.
From rhs T1bune Bureau J

Washington, Aug. 27.- Secretary
Daniels. in a letter made public to-
day. presents a long defence Of the
treatment of the navy during the Will
son Administration. comparing his rec
ord with those of previous administra-
tions 70 his own advantage. The letter
is in response to one by William Eliza
Williams, a Democratic Representative
from Illinois, asking when the navy fell
10 its present condition and what Will
son has done for il. The Secretary re-
piled, in part, as follows:
ain answer TO your question when
the United States lost second place,
I quote the following statement made
bv the General Board Of the navy on
MAY 2. 1916, in response to an inquiry
by Representative Butler, ranking he,
publican member of the House Naval
Affairs COMMITTEES:
Difficulty of Problem.
"'There is no known method OF meas,
uring accurately the relative power OF
two navies, as all elements must be
considered. such as displacement, mum.
her and size of guns, muzzle energy OF
battery. thickness and distribution OF
armor. speed and endurance. Displace-
ment is a simple and convenient meas
ure. Using displacement as the com
parative Measure of material and &C
tive personnel as the comparative meas
ure Of personnel, the following shows
when the United States became second
in size and strength and when the
United States lost second position; d.
"'(a) Considering displacement OF
ships built, the United States advanced
- .ocorI r,1ora n 1QllI ana
dropped TO third place in 1911.
@Ib) Considering displacement OF
ships built and building, the United
States advanced from third to second
place in 1909 held this place for
short time only, and dropped to thlro
place again in the same year, 1909.
"'(c) Considering active personnel,
the United States advanced from thlrd
10 second place in 1908, dropped to
third place in 1911 and to fourth place
in 1918. The United States advanced
again to third place in the first part OF
1914 and later that year dropped TO
sixth place, owing to the expansion OF
the naval personnel Of belligerent ma
tons
When United States Lost Rating.
1.-THE United States lost second place
because Germany built ships rapidly
while the United States contented it
self with a small programme Of naval
construction. In 1903 the General
Board urged the adoption of pro-
gramme providing for the construction
OF two battleships a year. If that
plan had been carried out, by 1919 we
would have had forty-eight battle
ships and would have kept our place.
But in 1905 the Secretary of the Navy
(Mr. Bonaparte) asked for only one
battleship, and in his message 10
Congress in the same year President
Roosevelt said, in order TO maintain
and increase the then standard eff
cheney of the navy il did not seem
necessary, however, that the navy
shouldn't least in the immediate
future-be increased beyond the pres
ent number Of units and he advo-
Gated adding a single battleship 20
our navy each year In his 1907
message President Roosevelt wrote TO
Congress: 81 do not ask that we con-
tinue to increase our navy. ! merely
ask that il be maintained at its pres
emit strength At that time the Cen
eral Board was insisting upon two TO
three new battleships each year. but
their recommendation was carefully
pigeonholed and not permitted to
reach the public
when Wilson was inaugurated the
navy was short Of ships, short of men,
short Of officers, short of munitions,
short Of aircraft, and behind in tar
get practice.
Target practice was good up TO 1909
at the short ranges then used, but
had fallen off between 1909 and