Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-04
DANIELS RUINED
AMERICAN NAVY,
MEYER CHARGES
Would Be Totally Helpless
in Case of War, Says
Ex-Secretary
SPECIFIES WEAKNESSES
Department Head Excoriated
for "Pedagogic" Policies
Swayed by Public

NEW YORK March 4.--"Gf war SHOULD
be declared tomorrow morning our navy
under Josephus Daniels, would be abso
lutely impotent to check the invasion o
our coast" declared ex-Secretary of tn,
Navy George Won L. Meyer here today
Congress is talking war" continued
Meyer. Thanks to Mr.. Daniels incom
petence war tomorrow with any one OF
four European nations would find the
way open to the enemy
THE INDICTMENT"
"The public has not yet realized the
deplorable condition of our navy" Meyer
continued. "Its confidence has not been
fully shaken. But 1 say to you that
Generalization already has attacked the
personnel because efficiency has not been
Daniels goal
LET us draw the indictment:
Our navy has no organization pre-
pared to act on war footing.
It has no tested war plan.
It has no tested mobilization plan.
1t has no general STAFF.
IL has no national council of de.
Tense
It has a small supply of ammuni.
tion. a shortage of enlisted men and
officers on practically every fighting
ship.
1t has no enlisted reserve.
We have no fast cruisers with the
exception of three that are obsolete
We are lacking in armed hydro
planes and the lamentable condition
of our submarine lotilla was demon
strated in the fall maneuvers.
We have fewer torpedo destroyers
(. In commission than in reserve.
Our battleship fleet numbers 10. 1t
was 81 when Daniels entered office.
Five of the Connecticut class of bat
tleships have demonstrated that they
"a IL &c En- I
knots an hour without danger of
breaking their drive shafts.
DANIELS BLAMED.
'Dnniels has demoralized and disorgan-
ised the organization he found In force
when he took office. He has not appreci-
ated the conditions this country has faced
since the war broke out.
''The last year and a half period OF
incalculable value, has been absolutely
lost through Daniels failure to grasp the
advent of this nations crisis.
"Many deplorable defects in the navy
might have been remedied in that time If
Daniels had not been in the wake of
public sentiment, an unwilling proselyte
to preparedness.
'Tnstead of upbuilding the efficiency of
the navy, his hobby has been rather the
pedagogic program of naval officers teach
ing naval fighters readin', 'ritin and rith-
metic.
This program has led us away from
the preparedness that would mean so
much TO the country at this moment.
MANY of the conditions 1 have emu
merated might have been remedied or
'amellorated during that time.
Now what can be done, at this, the
eleventh hour?
UP TO CONGRESS.
1.-THE remedies lie first with Congress.
Nothing would make a better impress
sion or do more good than the instant
authorization of a general star.
Add to this the authorization of a
national council of defense, an increased
navy enlistment of $4,000 men and the
passage of an immediate act to build four
battle cruisers at a speed of not less
than 30 knots.
THE first thing the House Naval Com
mittee did when Daniels took office was
to go into caucus and vote no battle
ships
Every fighting craft that has been
launched since Daniels took office, includ-
ing the just launched and tested super
dreadmought Pennsylvania, were author
lied by the former Administration.
81 do not think it would be seemly
In ME to say that Mr.. Daniels should be
ousteo, especially since there are many
others to say it in my stead"