New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-30
The Navy's Greatest Weakness.


Granting the limitations of the naval es-
adjustment the Daniels administration
has at least kept it fully efficient That
was the phrase used ON Tuesday by the
Assistant Secretary Of the Navy. Mr..
Franklin d. Roosevelt. II was an echo
of what Rear Admiral Blue, the admins
trative manstay of the Daniels regime
had already told the committee. II was a
tribute TO the wisdom and foresight with
which a certain coteric in the Navy De-
partment affects to believe that Its affairs
are being conducted, very modest and
shrinking in comparison with the uncon-
trollable outburst of hero worship INDUCED
in by Rear Admiral Benson, whom Mr..
Daniels elevated about a year ago to the
newly created post of chief of the Office
Of Naval Operations
"The Secretary is always there said
this ardent eulogist, anxious to keep IN
touch with everything that is going on
With the backing Secretary Daniels has
always given me, there's nothing left to
be desired
These tributes prove the loyalty to Mr..
Daniels of Messrs. Roosevelt. Blue and
Benson. But they do not prove that the
naval establishment, as it exists, is fully
efficient" We have good fighting units In
our fleet. We have a personnel which VIII
average well up. man for man, with the
personnel of other great navies. But 1t Is
nreposterous TO say that our navy is eili-
Gent in the sense of being properly or
qarized to do the work which it is intended
10 do and which it could do If 1t were
under competent military direction
At nearly every session Of the House
Committee on Naval Affairs testimony Is
produced which shows how far below the
proper standard Of efficiency our naval es-
Establishment really is. Congress authorized
more than a year ago the construction OF
two new dreadnoughts. Work on them has
not vet been begun. Secretary Daniels IS
a partisan Of battleship construction at the
government navy yards. But the yard
facilities are inadequate. He has failed TO
nut the yards into a condition to do the
work which he now wants to thrust upon
them. So construction has had TO wait
and is still waiting, while new facilities
are being planned and created.
There are not enough seamen to man
the ships which ought to be kept in com
mission. Every time a new vessel ls
launched a crew for it has TO be drafted
from the other ships in active service.
The Secretary has tried persistently to
conceal the shortages in personnel which
cripple the operations of the fleet. He has
refused repeatedly to ask for such in
creases in the enlisted strength as are
needed to keep our available ships in con-
dition by keeping them in active use.
Mr.. Daniels believes in operating the
navy on basis not Of "full efficiency but
of near efficiency. His goal as a strategist
Is imitation preparedness-the sort of pre-
naredness which would force on the United
States the role of a keenly self-interested
nleader for international disarmament.
According to his theory it is money saved
10 run the navy on basis Of partial eiil-
cheney instead Of basis Of full efficiency.
Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske told the
committee the simple truth the other day
when he said that the country was not
Getting value received for its investment
in the present navy. He put the efficiency
Of the establishment at 70 per cent of what
il ought to be. And every naval officer
outside Mr.. Daniels's immediate encourage
will admit that this is very generous
estimate. With Secretary alert 10 the
needs of intelligent organization, our fleet,
badly balanced as it IS, could be put into
shape 10 do all the work Of which 1t is
capable. It would not be left under
manned. Provision would be made in adj
vance for such new construction as the
department recommends and Congress
grants. Plans would be made for the best
strategical use Of what forces we have and
expect 20 have and for the training Of
those forces for the tasks likely TO be i'm
posed on them in time Of war.
Mr.. Danielss policy has baked at every
step the attainment Of this full measure Of
efficiency. He wants TO substitute his own
unframed judgment for the judgment Of
experts. He forced out Admiral Fiske as
Naval Aid for Operations because Mr..
Fiske stood for efficiency Of the thorough
scientific sort. He fought the creation OF
Naval General staff, and even after both
houses Of Congress had shown willing.
ness TO create such a body at the last ses
sion, he went 10 the conference committee
on the naval appropriation bill and pleaded
for the mutilation Of a Senate amendment
which would have installed in the Nav,
Department Bureau Of Operations will
powers equivalent 20 those Of a Genera
staff. All that he would accept was
chief Of new Office Of Naval Operations
subordinate 10 him and under his persona
control
No navy can attain "full efficiency