Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-10-20

mander-ln-c chief, calling the secrc-
taIS attention to the principal weak
nesSes Of the fleet, as follows.
Shortage Of officers.
! Shortage of men
Lack of fast cruisers
Lack Of aircraft
Lack of radio finders.
Need of mining and sweeping YES
sells
Nced Of battle target practice.
Need of aGialrcraft guns.
Necessity OF maintaining fun com
plements in active ships of the fleet
To frequent overhaul of battleships.
This report should have been issued
to the fleets officers but by Secrr-
tary Daniels orders its circulation
was forbidden and the document sup
] pressed.
! December l, 1914. Secretary Dar-
icls in his annual report stated: "As
| iar as submarines are concerned Il Is
/ hcllcNed that ours are on a par with
ANY in the world" \ few months
| later Admiral Fletcher gives true
statement. THE condition OF -.e
submarine ilotllla has been very nm
futlSidctory-o only ten were avail able,
az times not more than five Woo
ready for duty and some even of
'h"so not ready to undertake sub
merged work, All but one had ma
ChiucrN casualties"
lie is responsible for upsctting the
discipline of the naval academy by
injecting politics. lie removed the
major part of the clothing factory
from the Brooklyn yard to Charleston
for the purpose of increasing the po-
hUcal patronage of the south. Due
to political reasons he reopened the
navy yard one hundred miles up the
river at New Orleans,
His continued antagoniSm toward
private shipbuilders has resulted in
delaying construction of new ships.
Battlcships i3 and ~, authorized over
is months ago, have not yet been
started in the navy yard. II will be
five years from time of authorization
before they are now completed, and |
two years could probably have been |
Savcd-a concrete example of time |
wasted ana a lack of comprehension |
on his part Of the fleets requirements. |
Among the things perishable are |
naval designs. Battleships which |
have been built ten years almost au |
tomatically go TO the second line. 1t
Is, therefore, of no small consequence.
this political delay of Mr.. Daniels in
the construction of these two super
dreadnaughts Up-to-date no ship
during his administration
has been put IN commission. with the
exception of two torpedo boat de-
stroyers built in private yards.
Spurrcd by Public Sentiment.
For the first Is months of the Eu-
ropean war the administration depre-
rated any action for preparedness 1t
was not until public sentiment had
been aroused 10y the Security league,
the National Defense league, the Navy
caguc, and numerous individuals
hat President Wilson took any no
.i1o or interest In the movement.
Finally Secretary Daniels, having
suppressed for some time the general
board building program, came for
ward with fNe-year shiphuilding
program. But congress ignored Mr..
Daniels fiVc-Ncar building program
and urged that five battle cruisers,
our scout cruisers, ten. destroyers.
ifty submarines, together with fuel,
hospital and ammunition ships, should
,e laid down at once.
While the senate was considering !
he naval bill the battle OF Jutland /
VAS fought, and we can judge of its !
fleet on public sentiment, as the |
enatc went beyond the house of rep /
osentativcs' recommendation. adding q
our superdreadnaughts to the first |
ear building plan of the house and
n addition added building program /
q be completed I'm three years, TO {
which the house of representatives /
onsented. c
Hits Building Program.
The following statement gives the j
lumber of ships MIR, Daniels proposed, y
hat which the house of representa- I
ives proposed should he laid down at c
nee. and what the senate demanded d
nd the house finally agreed to: n
Gen board Gen. board n
Secretary OF navy Of navy 1
paricls' plan lst plan, "a plan. n
rcadtaughts &C..
attic cruisors...
uhmariues .,.,. 30 ~ ~ y y
estroytrs ...... Is IS 10
ludrics ........ - 10I
Appropriation necessary for tho year TO
AIRY out above plans:
ecretnry Daniels plan ,,.,,.S $1,000, 600
apat-,l Inarlfs nIan M nm oon