New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-25
THE TROUBLE WITH THE NAVY
An Officers Wife Points Out the Vcousness OF Secretary
Danielss Policy of Undermining the Fleet
The Need of Disciplined Youth

Of deceptive near-truth, which is more
unfair to the public than silence would
be. All our battleships are under
manned and under oficered-therefore
the ships are of less value than
smaller feet adequately manned. Our
reserve ships are in no case ready to
GO into instant commission. Therefore
they are purely paper hctlon Oh
strength. II is, however, more eco
nomical to keep them in reserve with
40 per cent of their officers and men
than to place them entirely out OF
commission, when they deteriorate so
rapidly as to cost more in repairs and
time than the expense Of keeping
reduced complement of men aboard.
Wednesday night dined on one OF
the ships in reserve at the League ISL
ard Navy Yard. Your Mr.. Cushing
Stetson's article of October II was the
main topic of conversation. have said
that the attitude Of the Administra-
ton was one of deceptive near-truth'
MAY | be pardoned if | class articles
like Mr.. Stetsons as being OF the same
TYNE? Mr.. Stetson states much truth
hut with il is such a weakening ele-
ment of exaggeration that the wnoie
article loses strength and force.
He dwells on non-vital things, such
as the slow painting of ship, the ny
ing in and out of birds through tho
omen ports Of a ship out Of commis-
sion. the picture of desolation which
a dismantled vessel presents land al
WAYS will till the end of time), and last
but not least, he speaks Of the men OF
the reserve crews. Let me quote'
Worst of all, perhaps, these ships sub
iect their reduced crews to every form
Of dissipation ashore. The men are
too few to do efficient work, they ac-
ouire habits of Incidence and contempt
for discipline and are useless when
sent TO sea. In the majority OF cases
q good man, disguised with the SER
vice, will refuse to reenlist. The re-
serve feet, as at present managed ana
conducted, is menace to the naVai
service and should be abolished"
The commanding officers Of ships go
ing into reserve and sending their men
to other ships naturally keep as Az
per cent nucleus the best men they
have. To tie fighting ship up to the
dock is always bad for the men. Sa-
looms and dishonest dealers always lie
in wait for the sailor, but except for
the frequency of his visits to the city
he acts no differently than when on
liberty from a ship lying in open water
Many of the men can have their ram
lilies with them during period IN re-
serve, and thus are more conten'eo
than when at sea. A 40 per cent COM
element is sufficient, though 6O per
cent complement is really needed to
keen the ship running and in condition,
and the men, with few exceptions, work
willingly and hard. Discipline in the
service is the backbone OF enclency,
and no shortage of men will tend TO
diminish this element Of training;
rather will it be increased.
At present it is necessary TO have
reserve fleet in order that we may par
tally man and equip our fighting units
It is not necessary, however, for the
Secretary of the Navy and Congress 10
claim that these ships are either ready
or nearly so to take an active part IN
defence work. We haven't got the men,
and until we find some way to get
them we shall have a purely paper re-
serve, an undetermined and under-of-
fcered feet and numbers of dlscon-
tented men who do not care to reenllst.
The reserve feet is far less menace
! H., tbo ean,e sbins would be entirely
out of commission.
The country needs protection through
defence; it needs disciplined youth,
coordination and Standardization Of its
men as we'll as Of its industries. Is
not universal service the answer to our
present problems? We of the navy
think so, the officers, the men and the
women behind the men behind the
guns.
WIFE OF A NAVAL OFFICER.
Philadelphia, Penn, Oct. 10, 1916.