The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-16
DANIELS MISLEADS
U. s., SAYS GARDNER
construction Delayed. and
Real Facts Of Navy Efficiency
Hidden. lie Charges.
DEMANDS An INQUIRY

MAsHINGToS, March Ia deinand
for an investigation OF the Bureau or
Construction and Repair OF the navy
Department and the dissemination ny
the Department OF misleading reports
about accomplishments OF naval vessels
was demanded by Representative Gard
ncr Of Massachusetts to-day in the de-
bate on the urgent deficiency bill.
Mr.. Gardner charged the Bureau OF
Construction and Repair with delay III
building vessels authorized ana the
faulty design Of some ships. However
he did not attribute the fault to Admiral
- TIA y,or, chief Of the bureau. but 10
present and former administrators OF the
Navy Department. lie declared reports
given out by the Department concerning
the work Of naval vessels TO be mis-
Heading and false.
"a few DAYS ago" said Mr.. Gardner
"the battieship Nevada went into com
mission. Thai was just five years and
= seven DAYS after we voted and appro'
cria,ed money to start the building OF
the Nevada. The oklahoma was au'
,horlzcd the same day. and she Is NOT
commissioned yet"
AIR Gardner read a bulletin Of the
-,Hur,au Of Construction issued March ~
1915. showing submarines authorized II
1905 and 1909 as unfinished.
Needs LOOKING Int.
THAT needs looking into. he said
" am not going to blame the present
administration Of the navy. II Is obvious
OH the evidence given by Admiral wins
low and Capt. Sims that IT If not 'ht
fault OF the present administration an!
more than OF prior Administrations ou'
IL in perfectly clear that the misieahlns
that has been going on is the 'au't o' INK
present Administration. The puoU' "oe'
mo, watch those things. bu, we are no"
told that the navy lies in a state OF pre-
,raredness. That was in the report Q
tho Secretary Of he Navy to Congress
in the fall OF 1914 aud at that very tim'
target practice had been going from pa'
to worse until II was rotten.
''This has been going on In the burea'
NJ CONSUMPTION and Repair and now w
are beginning to find II out. Now W
fnd that the submarine construction an
condition Of baitleship construction ar
ONLY samples Of VIVA; has been going OF
LEI, us find out whether We are Gett'nl
the facts about the conditions OF our sun
marines.
Nov am going 10 read I" YOU
statement OF the press bureau Of III
Navy Department under date OF MAY
1918. The press notice said that afte
an uninterrupted run of about l.-V
miles the second and fourth divisions q
the Atlantic submarine i'ot'lla nave al
rived at New York from Pensacola. Fla
via Key West. which port was their las
stopping place
The notice also said that the secou
division consisted Of the p-l, D.. D-'
FL and E-2 and the fourth division G
the III. k. K-6 and KIT
SAYS ubmariurs Failed.
"I, was y world breaking perform
ance. as the newspaper put H., sa!d VI
Gardner. Let rs see whether thc'
vessels were there. stated, ana ] II
wife an investigation. that the D-l. D.
DE- we're no. there ~ all. They neN'
started from Pensacola. They joins
that fleet oil the JERSEY coast VI
say this. further. that the HI ~
.owed both engines We're ~unavai!ab!
sag that the ~ "ds towed for
par, of the journey.
"Now there - a second DIVISION. "hi'
ne are old started from Pcnsacol
OF those i've vessels in that dlvistC
the D-i, the d. and the D-3 were n
there at all.
II challenge an investigation of tho
facts. and | am ready 10 90 on the "
ness stand and say where | cot the !
formation. And | am ready to t.
what officers to summon and what e
listed men.
That is not the only thing. II
sensible thing for US 20 do = TO hui
ourselves into second place as quickly
We can and leave the question o. bull
ing our navy INTO first place To be d
cided after We have got into seco'
place.
The Secretary OF the Navy suggeet
four capital ships because he said IN
was the building capacity of the cou
try. | cannot prove that he said
Il only know that the newspaper m
printed II. | TOOK the p~recaution
write TO the Admiral Of the navy, Geor
Dewey, to And out the facts and he -
that six ships IN addition 20 those
private yards not now In use can
rapidly equipped, making II posi-
to build simultaneously sixteen bat
cruisers and d~readuuushts Ia this cot
try.
II sugges; that We lind ont the tru
about the bureau OF construction d
repair and | suggest that We lind
the truth about this navy press bure
and whether il is putting out accur.
knowledge or whether the public is he
misied,'