The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-09-04

ne navy, during the three years
~ administration, goes to pieces
xxlcaIIy. and has the morale OF
oNkcers and men been so badly
nofailzed that the navy Is no
1ey : credit 20 the nation?
umS ancient phrasemaker made
nharryatIon that where there IL
nok1 there must BE- FIRE" THIS
tinx has been the usofal servant
aenndai.mongers ever since.
There certainly has been a lot OF
no|ke In the vicinity Of Daniels and
navy during the past three
nrs. Ii thers. real fire. or "
~ smoke artihcislly created for the
lrxpose Of making the public, be.
svo that there ~ a IRE?
H31teving that the readers of this
Vussapsr, in common with all other
infrscans. are vitality Interested IN
1efr navy, particularly al this time,
ave tried TO find out The truth
16ut Il.
ISs 4 have examined all available rec
<<A. and discussed the subject with
S1ny men in official and private
~. who know, or at least ought to
kn0w, the facts.
ST I am satisfied Secretary Daniels
IT. capable, sincere man, OF the
1x,sest ideals, and that He Is ad-
Inixtering the dutiesA OF naval
>crttary in way that j. credita
~ 10 himself and 20 the country.
have been able TO find no basis
~ the wholesale charges OF inefii-
oncy and Decentralization hurled
ntnst Daniels and the navy
The big things Daniels has done
- the interest OF Increased eff
Rncy are the very things THAI
nave caused the poison campaign
16ainst him.
Daniels. early in his term as chief
~ the navy, did what none OF his
o6ecesscrs seemed TO have the
onrsxe or desire 10 do. He de.
Hnnxed real war, not make-believe.
Eln NJ armor plate combination and
<&&e powder trust, which for years
- gcuged the government.
Later on. he issued his famous or.
k>oP barring liquor from every ship
r. The navy When Long was secre-
S1nfy Of the navy, he barred liquor
1om those sections Of the shifN oc-
'yeopied by the sailors and non-com-
sn1oefoned officers. Daniels order
TT the commissioned officers on the
;11me nor. liquor basis A. the ereWs-
Daniels policy, as to armor plate
'.f1nA powder. has saved the govern
SGnt millions Of dollars already
fnn1 will save II many millions more,
&Wnbess another secretary OF the
Eun1y goes back TO the old way OF
&1o1ng things. What the government
|f0A saved. the armor plate and pow
B Ier trusts have lost. The powerful
nfsrexts In control OF the manufac-
tire OF armor plate and powder
ave gone the limit in their sforts
{fp ssget" Daniels. They have manu-
4 znctured most OF the smoke"
x The rest. OF II has been made by
~ liquor manufacturers and a
small but noisy minority Of navy
o0lcers. who were Inundated" be-
eause the secretary acted On his sin.
IRE belief That booze in the officers
Y Quarters interfered with efficiency.
The price Daniels has paid for
ontagonizing the armor plate max
l6rs. powder makers and whisky
Imakers. In the interest OF honesty
md efficiency, is this:
He has had 10 submit 10 sys
tematic and persistent campaign
- SANDER and ridicule which for
yiclousness has seldom been sur
< Da1sed In this country. Partisan
politicians and newspapers and mag
0stnes. taking the cue from the
6xmor plate, powder and whisky
Dnblictfy bureaus. have selected
Daniels as the point Of least resist
''once In the Wilson administration.
~ have concentrated all OF their
&otteries and poison shells against
Nm.
There r. no denying that the ef-
lbEks have been more or less sue
1eGDful: that a good many people. /
Who have no personal knowledge OF
he facts. are saying: "How abop,
thie Daniels person? Where there
A much smoke. there must be some
nre."
The fnal test of the capacity OF \
the supreme boss in any business.
spublic or private. Is the degree of I
1lBciency with which the business |
INJECTIONS
Obviously, no man can say with
,ccrtainty that our navy is efficient
Until Il has successfully met the
Seout OF war
Il Int there is such thing as the.
oretical efficiency. and there are
{ eDftain elements that the experts
oensider when determining theoreti-
tcol cfAciency.
Among these elements are dis
DlAccment. number and size OF guns.
7uuxsle energy OF battery, thickness
ond distribution OF armor. speed
Sond endurance aud marksmanship
All other things being equal Il is
assumed that the navy which scores