Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-26
DANIELS ANSWERS
GARDNER CHARGES
Secretary OF Navy Refutes Asser-
tions of His Chief Critic
in Congress.
JOINS IN MAINE CAMPAIGN
Marks Entry Of Cabinet Officer
Into Fight for Wilson's
Reelection.
JOINS IN MAINE CAMPAIGN

MlLBR1DGE, ME-. August 25.-
secretary of the Navy Daniels delivered
here tonight the first Of scries of
spceches n" VIII make in this State dur
ing IN" next few days. which mark his
entry into The campaign for tho re-
election Of President Wilson. While
he touched on other topics TO some e.-
tent Mr. Daniels devoted himself par
ticu,arly 70 answering charges made
by Representative A. p. Gardner. of
Massa chusetts. who has been the secre
tary's chief critic in Congress
Mr.. Daniels referred TO series of
thirteen questions regarding the admin
is'ration "f the navy which Mr.. Gard
ner propound.d to the secretary i'm a
letter. saying that all of them had been
asked by Mr.. Gardner and answered
satisfactorily by the Navy Department
many times
mere are doubtless people who are
able TO ask moro questions than MIR
Eardncr. the secretary said but
doubt II any one has asked the same
questions so many times without pay
ing the slightest attention to the an
swers. have done everything hut
sing them TO him, and. while goodness
knows am no singer. If thought that
by so doing ! could get him to stop
asking questions long enough to listen
TO the answers, / would gladly set
them 10 music"
LETTER FROM DIRECTOR
OF GuNNERi ENEHCISES
Answering one of Mr.. Ciardners uues-
tons. which alleged that twelve of the
twenty lone battleships in the feet re-
corded unsatisfactory results in the
1914 target practice. the secretary pro-
duced letter from Captain {. p
Plunkett. director of gunnery exercises
who said OF his twenty years experi-
ence in the navy: Il know Of no time
during that period when the enemies
OF our country had more TO fear from
the batteries Of our feet than they
have to-day"
Captain Plunkett added that by dircc-
| ton OF the secretary the widest pos
sihle publicity would be given to the
battle practice next month.
Il do not sympathize with this form
OF criticism the gunner director
wrote. referring 10 MIR Gardner's oues-
J
mine the confidence of the people in
the i!ect and the confidence Of the ncet
people in their ships and in the officers
who are charged with tho responsi-
bility for the preparation OF the heet
/ :or war
"On tho floor Of Congress-" Mr..
Daniels continued. MIR. Gardner said
he wished he could have the opinion Of
The official observer on our battleships
as 10 their target practice. | read him
his opinion These are not my words.
not those Of any politician. nor any
civil appoiniee Of political party,
they are uttered with full knowledge of
his responsibility hy one Of tho highest
officers OF the navy and an expert on
| these subjects"
| STATEMENT WITHOUT
SHADOW OF FOUNDATION
Never before in the history of the
feet have such scores been made as
last winter at Guantanamo. The long
range battle practice was the distance
of the recent naval actions abroad
The score by the American navy is
higher than made In any of these
battles The fleet has hit the mark
better last year and this year than ever
! before.
90 not claim CTeult LOT the ShOOt-
ing. My part was, in seeing that the
Meyer system must be radically
changed. in putting the most competent
men in the navy in charge of it. and
| backing them up to the limit. AS long
as criticism was leveled at my admin
istration of the navy | did not care
to make any answer. for | knew results
would be a complete rcpudiation but
when the criticisms reflect upon the
efficiency of the fleet. when everybody
who knows anything about il knows
what il has accomplished in hitting the
mark, my duty 10 the officers and men
who have made this splendid record is
to declare that these statements ere
without the shadow of foundation.
Quite as gratifying as the marked
improvement is the wonderful enthu-
| sia SIN in officers and men. who are re-
solved to make a better showing in the
fall practices. This Congress has dealt
generously with the navy. The navy
is every day becoming more fit. fully
justifying the confidence of the Ameri-
can people in their reliance upon it,"
ANOTHER QUESTION DEALS
WITH TYPE OF TORPEDOES
Another question dealt with the type
were equipped, Mr. Gardner asserting
that those in use in 1914 had been de-
clared obsolete. He asked If the secre-
tary knew this when he issued his 1914
report.
I'VE not only knew it. but were al
ready manufacturing long-ranEe tor
pcdocs to take their places" Mr.
Daniels said. adding that these facts
had also been contained in his own
report. and that Of the chief of ord
nance to which Mr. Gardner referred
II am also able to inform him. he
continued. that since then all the
Dreadnoughts in commission have been
equipped with these new torpedoes"
The secretary refuted Mr.. Gardner s
assertions that there had been undue
delay in the completion of navy ships
Of various types now under construc-
ton. Labor conditions made II difficult
to hasten this work. he said. but the
department was doing all in It's power
| In this regard, and had plans for the
1917 ships ready before Congress had
passed the appropriation bill authoriz-
ing their construction.