Evening star., 1916-04-13
Explains American Problem in
Address Before Members
| of Navy League.
LAND AND SEA FORCES
USELESS FOR DEFENSE
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt Ad-
mits Navy Is Not an Efficient
Fighting Machine.

could hover over the Capitol and de-
stroy it. no matter what the strength
Of the navy, and this is the great prob
lem and opportunity of the govern
ment today These were statements
by Alexander Graham Bell, who ad
dressed the Navy League this morning
He asserted that the time is already
here when both sea and land powers
are secondary to air power. The United
States, where the art of aviation oriGi-
mated. through the inventive genius OF
the American people, has good
chance of being the nation that will
ultimately control the air" he assert
ed. The principal reason he gave why
the United States should build up an
aerial defense was because neither the
army nor the navy is a protection any
more against attack from above
Aeroplanes More Useful.
Mr. Bell declared that aeroplanes are
of greater Importance than dirigibles
on account of their speed and other
qualities. He urged that the United
States obtain a great fleet of aero
planes, which in time of peace could be
used Tor the carrying OF mails ne
recommended also that dirigibles be
built, and said that if the United States
now possessed one machine of this type
il could carry rationS for 10000 men to
the army in Mexico at a cost far less
than by motor car. He advised that
building companies should be stimu-
lated by government subsidies to start
an aerial dirigible delivery system.
Charges that the Navy Department.
through Secretary Daniels, is contin-
uing its system of 'gagging' and per-
secution in defiance of constitutional
rights were again bruited about the
convention today. Lieut.. Commander
Henry c. Muslin, in charge of the Navy
have read paper on THE Naval Aero
plane" This paper bad been o. KID by
the proper navy bureau. Col Thomp-
son. president of the league. announced
Today that Secretary Daniels has neg
1ected to respond to request that
Lieut.. Commander Muslin read the pa
Der and that it has been held up in the
Secretary's Office
Y Franklin D. Roosevelt. assistant sec
retary of the navy, was the principal
speaker this afternoon He gave start
hing facts regarding the real condition
OF the navy which have existed for
many years, and argued that great i'm
provements have been made during the
last three years. He admitted that the
navy today is mot an efficient fighting
machine"
"Navy General Staff Needed"
To the lack of a general naval staff
vas attributed the unpreparedness of
the American Navy and its failure in
battle efficiency by E. X. Roden of
Scranton. Pa, In an address on Why
We Need a Navy General STAFF
s. Mr.. Roden asserted that with an ap-
Y
pended by the United States. Germany
has built up a navy 80 per cent greater
in combined units, but as whole more
modern in construction, than that of
this country This he attributed TO the
fact that the German navy is headed
BY "a tried-out, efficient general staff"
The speaker asserted tnat. although
-during the past fifteen years Con-
gress has appropriated more than a
billion and half dollars for the navy,
q sum greatly in excess of the appro-
priation for the same purpose by any
other power except Great Brit vat
1T the present time our navy ie rated
fourth class
The speaker said that the act of Con-
gress of last year. creating the office
OF chief of naval operations, has pro-
vided only "a skeleton of form,
stripped of all substance"
I'VE still lack that legally consti-
futed Office that shall have the power
to coordinate all the military as dis
tinguished from the civil activities, of
all the various bureaus in the depart
ment. to the end that that office NAV
be properly charged with full and sole
responsibility under the Secretary for
the preparedness of the navy for war
and its proper and efficient direction
during war.
"Step in Right Direction
BY providing a general staff to di-
rect and control the navy under the
authority of the President and the Sec
retary of the Navy, Congress would be
following the step which every other
great nation has long since taken. Our
present law is a step in the right di-
rection. but it does not go far enough
Acknowledging that the United
States Navy is not an efficient fighting
machine. Assistant Secretary Roose-
welt charged the weakness to de
f1ciencies of the past" He said that
when when he entered the Navy Department
shortness in material and men had be-
come an alarming danger" He said
he thought the time for knocking has
gone by and the time for boosting has
come" Mr.. Roosevelt pointed out that
the war in Europe has brought home
facts which we have been unwilling
to learn until now" The people of the
country. he said, are for the first time
beginning to be interested In the real
facts instead of in oratorical general
tiles"
Hidden weaknesses Of the navy in the
past. as specifically mentioned by Sec
retary Roosevelt. were that in 1912
when President Taft reviewed the So
called great mobilization" in New
York harbor. "a surprisingly large
number Of the ships were in bad
physical condition; some had actually
q tn h1tr
were kept ahoat by working the pumps
day and night.
e Short of Officers and Men.
z "A large number of them" he con.
tinued. were short of officers an6
men. and it was only by the use of the
naval militia and by the authorization
under doubtful legality. of short-tern
ienlistments that the quota was as larg,
as IL was.
Further. the public believed that all
was well with the navy. whereas any
person who was interested enough .tt
ascertain the facts knew the dangerou,
weaknesses which existed"
Mr. Roosevelt stated further that n
the time the fleet went around tn.
world it was necessary. ito strip man,
other vessels of their officers and men
Ito borrow here. there and the othe
place, from shore stations and othe
fshore assignments, with the result tina
mission the naval establishment as ,
Ia w Nv lynn