South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-02-26
HOLDS j. :. NAVY
IN POOR SHAPE
Admiral WinSIOW Says Ships
and Men Are Lacking
in Efficiency.

WASHINGTON. Feb. Is. - The
United states navy's whole system
OF government and operation, from
education OF officers to questions OF
ship and gun construction. was
sharply criticized before the house
naval committee Friday by Admiral
Cameron ~. r.. Winsiow. com1nan-
der-in-chlef Of the Pacific fleet.
without radical changes, the adj
miral declared. a fully efficient fight
INK force comparable 20 the British
navy could not be produced in 80
years
Thursday Admiral WinslOw told
the committee the establishment of
general staff composed of active
line officers was vital necessity.
Friday he amplified this view. de-
claring the system Of education at
Annapolis naval academy was
wrong He urged restoration Of the
old grade of midshipman In the
feet Boys should enter the service
at from Il 10 IS years of age he
said. spend two years in preliminary
schooling ashore. then go 10 sea TO
acquire the sea habit" from actual
contact with things Of the sea be-
fore completing their educations
ashore. The polytechnic education
now given midshipmen at the acad-
envy is utterly unsuited. the admiral
declared. 20 the training OF men TO
handle ships and combinations OF
ships at sea. He could see no value
10 be gained from making all navy
officers experts in higher mathe-
mates. and thought constructors.
engineers and ordnance experts.
should be trained as specialists and
never be called upon to command
ships.
Demands Tests.
From the day boys entered the
academy. he said, system of selec-
ton should be applied to govern
promotions eliminating men untitled
for the daring, nerve-racking tests
that would be theirs in war. He
added that fellow officers should de-
termine these qualifications and that
a plan Of this sort was being worked
out by the navy department.
With opposing fleets sweeping to-
ward each other over the sea for
an action to be carried out at a
speed OF 20 knots or more, the adj
miral insisted there would be no
time for hesitation by any ship COM
mander He told of how he trained
q squadron Of four dreadnaughts
ne commanded two years ago until
his orders were carried out within
six seconds OF the time he gave
them. 60 maneuvers being carried
out in a single forenoon. Even this.
he declared. represented only EN-
couraging progress" on the road to-
ward complete efficiency and appH-
cation OF such intensive methods 10
the fleet as a whole could never
be accomplished unless men were
selected TO command the ships be-
cause Of fitness. not because of SEN
ioriry.
All Are Inefficient.
Asked how many flag officers in
the navy he thought were capable
of development TO complete fitness
for high command the witness said:
II do not think any of us in the
upper grades h, e had sufficient ex-
perience to work up TO our highest
efficiency"
The admiral indicated he believed
that while AmeIcan ships were
steadily Improving I'm design it was
doubtful whether they now equalled
ships abroad.
Il have never said" he continued.
that our fleet could not fight. It
could fight. IL would fight" He
added that it was the whole system
ne attacked. believing it could never
produce efficiency Of the fighting
forces in men or ships.