Omaha daily bee., 1916-04-05
DANIELS CLASHES
WITH ILLINOISAN
ss.retary Grilled on Subject Of
Fiske's Leaving the Naval
Department.
URGES SUPPORT OF PROGRAM

lfiOU bllL SECRETARY Dhulels flDbs1
ia three-day statement before the
committee with final appeal in
support of the adfninistration's five
year building program. subscoms
mitteo will begin Immediately franz
ing the bill.
II became known tonight that a
determined effort would be made
TO provide for six capital ships, two
dreadnauEhts and four battle cruias
ers, as compromise between the
recommendation " the secretary
Hnd OF the navy general board
wen'f say where u. =. stands,
Mr. Daniels parried aii efforts today 70
ret from hirn statement 8s 70 ne felhs
tive place among naval powers ths
United states should occupy, lie said
the fiyeayear program he hs1 mapped
out would not put the country IN second
Mace, In his Judgment, and inst the
present changes could not bs asked 70
make up for the deficiencies Of twenty
years paAa A. the close ~ the Euro
pean war, he said. he believed great
opportunity would come for lBtsfnA'
fionaI limitation 0f armament aDd with
strong building program adopted, the
Tinted states would be- III a better %
eitini 10 urge that movement successfully
than II ifs fleet we're weak.
Representative Butler Of Pennsylvania
rep1blAcan sssaiied the seerstary's rsee
concentrations for n government projsee
fiia factory, ffs asserted that the speeis
ficati0ns Tor nayy affnGr piercing shells
we're 90 hlgt that they could not he
met by manufacturer, and also declared
to had reason 10 believe that tiB speed
neatlons for navy ll-inch guns a1d other
material had been revealed during MI
Dsniels administration 70 tbs Russian
ana German governments lie suggested
lhst Rear Admiral Strauss, chief ~
ordnance, be- asked 20 produce letter
10 the ErupD company 0f Germany
strauss Ttsads Letter.
Admiral Strauss was summoned later
apd read ehe letter IN question. u Was a
repJy. 10 an offer ns1s before the whf ~
Tho KrIpp company 10 supply fourtssn-
lnet, guns for the United States navy.
The ordinance bureau answered that n
guns % naest ths requirements IN The
offer could be provided, the cornpsDys
BID would have attention,
These ars not the specifications N our
fourtsen-ineh guns" Admiral Htrauss
said They are for much superior
gun"
Both the secretary and the admiral said
they had no knowisdes Of asiy plans Or
other information having been impaired
70 the Russian government
In answer 10 Representative Buners
assertion that the srnorspisreing she'll
spscifleafiobs were 100 high Admiral
strauss produced The records Of the de-
partrnent 10 show that Mldvals and Cruz
eibie Bteei companies had delivered large
quantities Of shells that had passed the
tests
Secretary DsnisIs replied N length i0
eritlcism Of himself, implied Or stated,
during f11s testimony Of Rear Admiral
F1ske, former aid for operations. and be-
came involved IN = warm controversy
with Representative Brfttsn of Illinois,
republican. Ftsspon1ing 10 questions by
Chairman padgett, he said Admiral Fisks
had sought appointment M commander ~
Tho Atlantic fleet when Rear Admiral
Badeer retired and had repeatedly re
quested II 10 the sscrstayvs great en-
bauassmsut.
Mr.. Daniels said he told Admiral g1akA
that Rear Admiral Fletcher. then eon.
handing squadron in Mexican waters.
seemed entitled 70 tho appointment. Ad.
rnirm Tiske replied that Fletcher d1 not
want n, the secretary said, and asked
that tho appointment he held up until he
eould write 10 Fletcher. This was done.
Ar Daniels said. and whon Mr. Fletcher
replied that he would be- honorsd by the
command. hs wss appointed: ami from
that time on Admiral Tisks was not IN
harmony with the Navy department.
differ Over Wine Mess order.
our first difference" said tho seere
isry was over the wine mess order.
Admiral Fisko was greatly aEsrieyed
Ito said navy officers would go ~ using
cocaine. My only regret about the order
IA that did not Issue II on March 4.
when came into office. instead Of walt.
ing"
Mr.. Daniels said he han been prompted
- issue the order because af the many
cases that came before him Of young
officers addicted 70 drink He cited one
man who told him that his son. young
navy officers, never had used iquor In
any form before he went aboard ship.
Although he had resolved 10 ask for
admiral Fiske'H resignation. the score
tary said he changed his mind when ron
sress created the office of chief of
operations 10 shppIani tho aida sysiem
and intended 70 allow the admiral 10
ssfta as aide until the office expired
The admiral resigned, however. before
ihs neN law became effective.
Representative Hfilton directed attens
lian 70 Admiral fsiake's htatement that
~ele had resigned heeAuss he had differed
from Mr. Daniels on the preparedness
Hnestion The secretary faid that vas
noe no reason Eiysn ~ him for fha res
tEnailon Representative ufltsen asked
that certain letters from Admiral Ftske
and The aenefai haard 70 the SECRETARY |
waning him that Tho navy vas unhre
paftd tof war he placed N lha record |
~ Daniels declined ~ da a. Ayins
hr hsa % Intention N permitting moh |
aaffestabdenCe hetwefn the beard aud /
hlmaflf 10 bs maaa ne Fihiael ~ gossip
REPRESENTATIVE Mfli,tp and ghs sepfs |
iaif laahed aKain eheH ihs fannsf
asttd II Democratic eonsfsss haa nat
ll deem ihs recommendation N q -
pabl#sn sserFian fam lhres balIleshins I
a Hun
saa aani "a 81 late palltis
Hf fetefs nanifN easan
ttrf8l n#Wi@fa tateftulfed a "A Thar |
R'lilra thaula he eselaasd hul rsnaFsi /
1thaie - lha sdhiefl iaiineti Me- /