Evening star., 1916-01-11
Admiral Stanford Likes Other
Places Beside Guantanamo
and Pensacola.
COULD ACCOMMODATE
THE LARGEST WARSHIPS
Points to Ease With Which MIS-
sissippi River Could Be Mined
to Protect Station.

Nav Orleans would be a good place
for a great naval dry dock plant rear
Admiral Stanford. chief of the bureau
of Yards and docks. told the House
naval committee today
Although Guam tanamo and Pensacola
offered the best sites, as Indicated III
his testimony ersterday. Admiral stan
fora said he wanted to make it clear
,b.t tbere were other points on the At
,antic coast south of Cape Hatteras
which could be developed into gooo
bases. Every one, had fault OF some
kind. however.
Prefers Floating Dry Dock.
A floating dock would be better suited
to New Orleans than craving oocN'
said the admiral. owing to the great
variation in the river level. hoating
dock would require expenditures 10
prevent rust and depreciation. however
There would be no difficulty III
building a floating. dock at New orleans
70 accommodate the largest Vesseis Q.
the navy" said the admiral. II
he far less difficult to MAINTAIN a hod.
ing dock at New Orleans than at most
,,ni,ts hecsuse of the fresh water
there" ~,
perior in some respects TO other poii's'
Mining the Mississippi.
"can the Mississippi river be safely
mined between New Orleans and the
sea- asked Representative Butler OF
Pennsylvania
"I have no doubt it can be-" replied
ural defense there. There is a con-
trolling width of 200 feet channel from
New Orleans to the sea-"
Mr. Butler asked the admiral 10 fur-
nish Congress with an estimate of the
amount necessary to develop the New
Orleans base to a capacity OF t"iioihs
two capital ships simultaneously;
I'VE ought to give consideration to
Mobile bay also" suggested Admiral
stanford He added that while there
were some facilities at the New Orleans
ward now there were no building ways on
which a vessel could be laid down, nor
facilities for docking the superdtead-
naughts.
Order Causes Outburst.
The order forbidding naval officers to
talk preparedness" recently issued by
Secretary of the Navy Daniels, was the
cause of another outburst yesterday
afternoon from Representative Britten
Of Illinois, vino has been objecting to
the order ever since he first heard OF
H.
cussing yards and docks, Representa-
tive Britten asked him question or
two, and then expressed the rear tnat
Secretary Daniels could order naval of
fcers to distant points, SO that their
testimony could not be obtained by the
naval affairs committee. o
Chairman Padgett read into the rec
ord gag" order under the Taft ad-
r1ninistration, which he said is much
more severe than any ordeI issued by
Secretary Daniels.
Don't you know there is an order
preventing you or any other naval off,
Ger from talking in public or to any
congressman" asked Representative
Britten.
IT have no knowledge of any such
order except what I have seen in the
newspapers the admiral replied.
Restriction Denied.
Chairman Padgett said Secretary
Daniels told him Friday that every
naval officer was at the committees
disposal absolutely untrammeled."
rs there any restriction on your
testimony here" asked Representative
Stephens of California.
There is not" replied the admiral
In reply to a question by Mr. Gallo
possible to tell exactly how much the
fve-year increase project would in
volve for yards and docks. He esti-
mated the increased cost between ST.
10000 and $10,0o0.000. The floating
crane at the Norfolk yard would be
ample even though the fleet should be
materially increased.