The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-29
The Mussled Navy.

Tne Mua8led Navy.
When Secretary DANIELS takes tn,
floor to defend his administration o,
the navy he employs friendly agencie.
of publicity. and his personal state
ment is supplemented by specious ant
extravagant eulogy. II Mr.. DANIEL.
had the last word he would appeal
as the most jealous and eficient Sec
rotary the navy has ever had. ant
his critics would appear to be perse
cutors Of an Industrious public ser
want who was devoting himself t.
the uplift and perfection Of the ser
vice. But the trouble Is that Mr.
DANIELS must reckon with high on
GERS Of the navy. whose word Is as
good as his own, II not better, and
whose information about their pro
fession Is incomparably greater.
"No one has been muzzled,' says
Mr.. DANIELS. Unfortunately 1t 1,
not true II that officer and gentleman
Admiral BRADLEY A. FIsKE Is worthy
Of belief. Only last Friday the Ad'
miral testified before the House Com.
mittee on Naval Affairs that when
he was asked to speak on prepared.
ness before the Commercial Club OF
Chicago, with the understanding tina,
no newspaper a would be present
he said that the consent Of the Secre.
tary Of the Navy must be obtained
but that that would be only a for.
mality. II notified the Secretary
Admiral FIsKE said. land he told me
that he did not want me to make any
speeches or write any articles fol
newspapers or magazines. expos.
tulated and said I was not ~criticisins
any policy Of the Secretary or the
President" How completely Admiral
FIsKE was to be muzzled Representa-.
tive BRirrEN brought out by this
question: did he tell you that you
were not even to say that two times
two makes four?' "Yes." said the
Admiral.
But there was muzzling Of another
kind, for which not even the stereo.
typed and misleading defence Of "ex.
ecutlve order" could be pleaded, an
inhibition that never had any refer.
ence to enlightening the American
people on the subject Of preparedness.
rs 1t not true" asked Representa-.
tive BRIrrEN at the hearing on Fri.
day last. that the Secretary refused
to make the General Boards report
public II 1t contained the recommen.
datiOn OF the board for an increase
Of 1850 men?" "Yes, that was true
said Admiral FIsKE, and he went on
to suy:
II took the report from the board "a
the Secretary. The Secretary told me
to TAXI Il back and have that recon-.
mendation about the enlisted men elm
mated or there would be no publication
Of the report"
Admiral FIsKE stated that the Gen.
eral Board. Of which Admiral GEORGE
DEWEY Is the head, debated the point.
and. In order to get the report he
fore the public. decided To strike out
the recommendation for the increase
OF 1880 @ Thus not only Admiral
FIsKE hut the General Board was
gagged" Muzzled Is much too bland
a word for this performance of a
Secretary Of the Navy who boasts of
having Incorporated the recommended.
lions Of the General Board in his
own annual report. We have no
hesitation In saying that IL Secretary
OF the Navy guilty of such an un.
derhanded. arbitrary and mischievous
use of his authority Is "A blight on
the sea service and not fit to retain
his post.
The truth about the administration
OF JOsEPHus DANIELS Is that under
cover Of his professions that he Is
simplifying the work Of bureaus, In
creasing efficiency and preparing the
navy for war. the trail OF politics Is
over all that ne proposes and under
takes, and that his fixed aim Is 10
get as much power as he can into
his " hands in order to become
the Boss Of the Navy. The whole
service from Admiral to enlisted man
sees through his game, with the re-.
suit that he Is the most distrusted
aud unpopular Secretary the navy
has had In our time.
p1ayWP14hta and thA HTOvlas