The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-26
DANIELS OFFERS
 TO SING REPLIES
 TO A.P. GARDNER
Massachusetts Man Cham pion Question Asker, Says
 Secretary of Navy.

Machias, Me, Aug. 26-Secretary | of the Navy Daniels delivered here | last night the first of a series of l speeches he will make in this state during the next few days which mark his entry into the campaign for the reelection of President Wilson. While he touched on other topics to some extent, MT. Daniels devoted himself particularly to answering charges made by Representative A. P. Gard ner of Massachusetts, who has been the Secretary's chief critic in Con- gress.
 MT. Daniels referred to a series of 8 questions regarding the administra- tion of the navy which MT. Gardner propounded to the Secretary in a letter, saying that all of them had been asked by MT. Gardner and answered satisfactorily by the Navy Department many times.
 There are doubtless people who are able to ask more questions than MT. Gardner" the Secretary said, "but I doubt if any one has ever asked the same questions so many times without paying the slightest attention to the answers. I have done everything but sing them to him and while goodness knows I am no singer, if I thought that by so doing I could get him to stop asking ques- ticN% long enough to listen to the answers, I would gladly set them to music.'
 Answering one of MT. Gardner's questions, which alleged that 12 of the 21 battleships in the fleet record ed unsatisfactory scores in the 1914 battle practice, the Secretary pro- duced letter from Capt. c. P. Plum kett, director of gunnery practice. who said of his 20 years experience in the navy:
 "I know of no time during that period when the enerpies of our coun- try had more to fear from the batter les of our fleet than they have today" Captain Plunkett added that by di rection of the Secretary the wisest possible publicity would be given to the battle practice results next month.
 "I do not sympathize with this form of criticism" the gunnery director wrote, referring to MT. Gardner's question. "and believe that it will undermine the confidence of the peo- pie in the fleet and the confidence of  the officers who are charged with the responsibility of the preparation of the fleet for war.
 q consider such criticisms and at tacks on our target practice and the publication of the facts in connection herewith have been of the. greatest use to every enemy of the govern ment, both in our own country and abroad"
 "On the floor of Congress- Mir Daniels continued, "Mr. Gardner said he wished he could have the opinion of the official observer on our battle ships as to their target practice I read him his opinion. These are not my words, not those of any politi- clan. nor any civil appointee of political party. They are uttered bility by one of the foremost officers of the United States Navy and an ex- pert on these subjects
 Another question dealt with the type of torpedoes with which battle ships were equipped, MT. Gardner as- serting that those in use in 1914 had been declared obsolete by navy ord nance officials. He asked if the Sec TeldTy Knew tIllS WHeU ne lSSuGO HIS 1914 report.
 we not only knew it but were al- ready manufacturing long range tor pedoes to take their places" MT. Dan iels said. adding that these facts also had been contained in his own report and that of the Chief of Ordnance to which MT. Gardner referred.
 "I am also glad to inform him." he continued, that since then all the dreadnoughts in commission have been equipped with these new tor pedoes."
 The Secretary refuted MT. Gard ner's assertions that there had been undue delay in the completion of navy ships of various types now under con- struction. Labor conditions made 1t difficult to hasten this work, he said, hut the department was doing all in it's power in this regard and had plans for the 1917 ships ready before Con- gress had passed the appropriation T. 1,air