New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-16
Too Few Ships, Too Much
Daniels, Make Practice
Almost Useless.
FINE TARGET WORK
AT lO-MILE RANGE
Texas Leads and Arkansas Grip
pies a Battery-Guard Spans
as Sea Fighter Passes.

With its officers chatting under the
Navy Departments "anti-preparedness
policv. a. they call it. and with ne
Arkansas practically useless as fight
ing machine through the cracking IN
target practice of two Of her srea.
main battery guns, the first DIVISION OF
The Atlantic feet was settling down ''r
a stay of several weeks in this port
for general repairs yesterday.
The ships were in from three and
hale months fleet manpuyres and tar
get practice in Cuban waters, but the
tons of powder and weeks OF mimic
warfare were practically wasted, sald
an officer on Admiral Fletcher's flag
shin. 30 far "a giving the higher OF
6cers experience in coping with the
larger strategic problems they wond
have TO deal with in an attack BY any
first class power.
"The Daniels influence is always de-
messing" he said, land, to man. we
were exasperated by the Admiral fiske
incident. As to the practice, IN the
first Mace it was along the same rou-
tine lines Of former years, with the e"'
con.ion that we used q ten-mile target
range. which is further than we have
ever attempted before.
Ten-Mie Target Practice.
"Tbis was ordered as a result OF
rossors taught By the present war
.ba. we must be able to fight at ten
miles with accuracy. But there the
lesson stopped. Instead of the TWENTY
ships in the feet that should have oeen
nresent there were only fourteen. IN
fact. we. in these times OF warlike pos
sibili.ics. had fewer ships than usual
az the practice.
"The result was that we could no.
work ont more advanced problems. Inc
,osts we could work out were OF too
restricted a nature to be Of much use
in case Of attack by any power that Is
s,ronr enough to consider attacking US.
I'VE are doing the best we can WIN
the material we have, but If we haa
had more ships there, and ships OF all
the types required, we could be read'
20 lay out a better fighting scheme IN
case we had to defend this country.
eve had only three scout cruisers at
Guantanamo. With sufficient num-
her We could have worked out immea'-
urablv more efficient tactical plans for
making the navy really this country's
first line Of defence. We had no bat
ue.cruisers. and, therefore, we have
no practical knowledge Of our own how
20 Gene with that class Of attack We
also had fewer torpedo boats than
usual"
Wonderful Scores Made.
Despite these handicaps, he said no
one in the fleet had any apologies 70
make for the work accomplished by the
mon. Some wonderful scores were
made with the big guns at the ten
mile range. the Michigan making the
highest with eight hits out Of forty
two shots. This i. as good as the
average in former years at shorter
ranges.
The Arkansas, which is Vice-Admiral
Mayo's flagship, was rushed under spe-
cial orders TO the navy yard to have
her cracked rife, replaced. The Wyo-
minc. flagship Of Admiral Fletcher.
commander in chief of the feet. re-
manned off Tomnkinsville with the New
York and Texas. These constitute the
first division. The birmingham, one Of
the three scout cruisers. lay IN the
North River. of l29th Street.
Splitting Of the Arkansas two L.
inch guns puts one-ffth OF her often
sive power completely out OF commis-
sion: According TO officers, both TIE
guns were in one OF the art turrets.
They gave way without warning during
the long range firing.
A report Of the breakdown was made
~ once to Washington. but was pigeon
holcd there by the Navy Department.
Delay in Getting Repairs.
CAPTAIN William Shoemaker was too
busy 20 talk about the guns, but other
officers expressed surprise at the delay
In getting the repairs.
NO one was hurt when the guns col
iapscd. Two new Pinch rifles are
lying alongside the drydock to be used
in replacing the broken pair. The work
viii begin tomorrow.
During her stay in December and
january the Arkansas had 4 great deal
Of repair work done. and she suppos-
cdiv left thc yard IN better condition
than at any time since put in commits
sion.
When the ship steamed under the
East River bridges the centres Of the
spsns were guarded by policemen and
detectives. who kept poop e back to pre-
vent IA possible dropping OF bombs
upon her
The Wyoming, Captain Thomas Snow
den, will come up to the yard this
morning; the New York, Captain Hugh
Rodman, tomorrow. and the Texas,
Captain John Hood. Tuesday morning.
The Wyoming and Arkansas each
mount twelve l2-inch and twenty-onc
5-inch guns. while the New York and
Texas have ten li-inch and twenty-one
5-iEch guns.
Torpedo Boats in Game.
With the fleet in Cuban waters were
the torpedo boat hotilla, the mine lay
ing and sweeping division and nine
auxiliary vessels.
Each OF the battleships fired in all
about 100 rounds from their II and IA
inch rifles and 200 rounds from their
5-inch guns. On shore $4,000 men were
fired through" small arms practice,
using $500. 900 rounds Of rifle ammuni-