davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1916-01-20
WHAT'S ON PROGRAM
IN CAPITAL TODAY

Mass meeting Hebrew Temple. Rev. l'r. }
l. Magnes. p. m.
Me- Ins. H.. =. i. Committee, on preSer a.
uon OF Historic spots and Records lSl1
CumneGtIcui avenue, lu a m.
Meeting National security Congress. New
Meeting 'Ann.Wsr Lessve OF the District,
Address %';, HT'' The irish q National rhsater."
Ralph A. Graves, before Study Club OF the
Washing .GI Center OF 'he Drama League.
Special Performance. "Rattle Cry o. Peace, :
TOT members OF Washington Branch of ,he
Navy League. strand Theater, 10 a. m.
Conference. lighthouse inspectors Depart alent
OF Commerce, 10 a. NJ.
Meeting. Twentieth Century Club, Home of
Miss Julie Maths, 3ls Seventeenth stree;
northwest. 1880 a. IN
Annual meeting. Audubon Society of tho
District, Mckinley Manual Training School.
Masonic Lodges: Hiram, No. 10. NJ. M:
La Faystte. No. ~, f. A. Royal and Sc
lect Masters Adoniram Council. No. =
Eastern s,sr-Esthsr. No; ;. $780,,
lunIbia, No. 10, and Salem, No. -. ousi-
Knights OF Pythias-Franklin. No .. bust
| Pythian Sisters Monthly meeting. Past
| Chiefs Association.
| National tnion-Nationsi Council at Psrpet-
ual building Hall.
Socialist Party-Jewish Branch and German
! Branch, 81 street northwest, S:lS p IA
! daughters of AmeriCa-E,uChre by the Wheel.
/ ing Club, Fifth and G streets northwest.
! Modern WoOdmen of AmeTica--ColuInbia
! Camp. No. II, 92S. installation.
| Lecture, The Bhagavat Gita." Prof Cole
/ man. Oriental University. Fourteenth and
| Chaplin streets northwest, p. m
: Rehearsal, Home club Chorus. al Club -:
! TO 9:l5 p. IN.
| Address, Miss Cornell, Y. W G. A., So m.
| Meeting, the Washington Aquarium, y!
| Twelfth street northwest s u m
! Address, Recent Reforms in Prison Man.
aGernrnt" John Joy Edison, New Jerusa
| lem church. $50 .. m.
! Lecture. Negotiable Instruments l2li +
! etTcet northwest, S:l5 p m.
| Address, Southwest Citizens AssOCia lion
William Nick. Clayton. Jefferson public
! school, o. m.
! Meeting, PoCRhontas Memorial Associa (!on
| $50 -. w.. HOlel Bellevue.
| Address. Rev l.. l. Bowers Fifteeath Street
christian Church, 7:3O M
The Washington times., 1916-01-20
MR.. WILSON ON THE STUMP

President Wilson, going on the
stump in favor of national prepared
ness, will, of course, advocate his
own kind Of preparedness; any other
President, responsible for the ini-
tiation of such program, would do
the same thing.
Therefore, it is highly desirable,
in order that his attempt to arouse
public opinion shall be successful,
that he should be very certain that
he is going to advocate measures
that will most strongly appeal to
the country.
Even so determined. "a peace-lover
as Thomas jefferson favored vigor-
GUS preparedness measures, but
found it impossible to formulate
them into national policy because of
the differences of opinion in Con-
gress, which reflected sectional and
factional divergences.
There is grave danger at the pres
ent moment that that experience of
more than a century ago may be re-
peated.
Failure in Jefferson's time to
make proper preparation for de-
tense, was responsible for the humil-
iations of the War of 1912.
Who can imagine what it would
mean if today the disgraces of that
war should be repeated in a war
With a foreign power! Yet they
might be repeated, on the scale of
present-day development of this ma
lion; and if SO. no diplomacy would
ever get US honorably out of the
scrape, as the diplomacy of that
period saved US from the conse-
1uences Of our defeat in the War
Of 1912.
The Washington times., 1916-01-20
@. u. Law Juniors Win
Debate With Seniors

The question whether Congress should
enact legislation providing for sub
stantially increased national defense
was debated last night by teams repre-
senting the junior and senior classes OF
Georgetown University law school. the
former winning the decision. Robert VI
McGauley. of Worcester. Mass, and
William j. Cullnan. of this city. repre-
sented the juniors. while the seniors
team was made up of f.. j. Whalen, Oi
Massachusetts. and Julien c. Hyer. Of
South Carolina.
Justice Ashley NJ. Gould was chairman
of the board of judges. which included
Hugh J. Fegan. secretary of the law
school. and Robert Maurer. instructor OF
law at Georgetown. An address on "br-
batting was delivered by Chief Justic"
Covington.
The Washington times., 1916-01-20
Many of Long Standing.

Mr.. Daniels directed attention To the
fact that the weaknesscs and inad-
eNuacies Of the fleet are in the main
matters OF long standing. some OF which
have already been corrected whue
others have been called to the attcn-
ton Of Congress because they could not
be corrected without Congressional ac-
tion.
Wherever the responsibiiity may lie
the fact remains that Admiral Fletch-
crS report indicates that the navy Is In
a condition anything but satisfactory to
the men who would be responsible for
using 1t as u fighting machine in case
of war.
Here is a paragraph from the ad-
mlrars report on the operations of the
hAttleshtp squadrons, which illustrates
the inadequacy with regard to scouting
craft:
Upon the completion of the fall
target practice the vessels of the fleet
were sent to the navy yards to prepare
Tor the cruise 70 san Francisco In
March This cruise was subsequently
aba andoned The battleships and de-
stroycrs sailed for cuba on January L.
and carried out two important strate-
gical problems en- route. In the first
problem superior battleship force
leaving New York attempted to prevent
the Joining of inferior forces leaving
Boston and Norfolk. Owing to the lack
Of any cruisers OF. scouting vessels at
taChCd to the fleet 1t was necessary to
assign number of destroyers to each
force to act as scouts. In the moderate
seas encountered the dcStroYers proved
ineffective for scouting work. Due to
i'a inability 20 obtain information OF
the movements of the opposing forces.
the superior force failed in Its mission.
and the inferior forces joined without
Jiffi,.I1tr
The Washington times., 1916-01-20
Tomorrow.

Meeting Emery lexington Home and school
Assuciatiun. lexington school SID y. an.
Address, our Coast Defenses," Maj. Grn.
+ NJ Weaver, L. :. A, New Masonic
.II4ll. i:i5 p. IA.
Address our National Parks l. r..
Srhmrckebicr, Home Club. 5 y. m.
Debate, Georgetown Law School Auditorium,
80 D. ~.
Election OF Officers, Labor Department Ri1e
Team. \ y m.
Track meet tor boys. Y. NJ. {. a, :: 80 p IN.
Dance Mississippi Society of Washington.
Porlmer apartments. Fifteenth and L
Concert. New National Theater, T. Arthur
smith. 30 p. III.
Masonic lodges: Lebanon. No :. NJ n.
Royal Arch chapters: Eureka. No. L. sps-
Ciai grand visitation. school of instruction.
knights TeUplar Communicates: Colum-
hta No 2. ternple and malta probably.
Eastern Martha, No. !. special; Asccn-
sion. Na 20. anniversary celebration; East
Gate No y.
Odi Ieuows-Lodges Phoenix, No q. dc.
gree: CenrTai, No. l, and Metropolis. No I6
business EnCampments; Magenenu. No l.
business.
ReDrkah Lodges Miriam Ne. 6. business
KnighIs Of Pythias-Syracusian. No. 10. bust
ness.
P,thisn Sisters s-Rathbone Temple, 40. :, an
iUatiOn.
50 ialisr Uar,,-- Local NorrheasD. Sll /. stree
..J. Un UsG $40 " AZ,
The Washington times., 1916-01-20
Great Difference Shown.

Here Admiral Fletcher inserts table
showing. rank by rank, the number OF
oHlcers on each OF these three battle
ships. The German vessel counts up
litty-four officers, the British fifty
three. and the American thtrty-thrcc.
lie continues:
"A personnel board appointed on the
i,eia"are In 1914 stated that the com
plement Of officers necessary was fifty
Iour: A similar board working inde-
pendently on the sister ship North Da-
kota, reported that their complement
should be fifty-three.'
ADMIRAL Fletcher, summarizing, finds
that in officers Of experience the Della
ware has only half as nany as the
Belerophon and one-third as many as
the Helgoland In the total of officers
the Bellerophon and Helgoland exceed
cent
The shortage OF officers" proceeds
the admiral, zig not confined to the
battlcships. but exists in all types OF
ships. For instance, assigned to the i'm.
portant duty OF guarding the aD'
proaches to the Panama canal, tho
Is division OF five submarines, in each
OF which there is but one officer, anC
In four Of these five the officer Is ol
the rank OF ensign but recently grad
uated from Annapolis.
In the recently completed battle ef
ficiency inspection of, the second divis
ion Of battleships. the division Com
nIanier makes the following comments
At general quarters in the battle
SLIP Utah. a chief petty officer Is in
charge of one turrett and an ensign
graduated in 1914 is in charge OF
another. There are no officers IN
handling rooms and no officers
available for the after range finder.
The torpedo room is in charge Of a
chief petty officer and the torpedo
officer stationed in the coming tow
or is of the class of 1914. In the plot
ting room a pay clerk and a yeO-
man are performing work which re-
qures commits stoned officers of the
line. The following shortages exist.
Florida, - officers Utah, 2S OF
fCcrs: Michigan. 2l officers South
Carolina IA officers
The Washington times., 1916-01-20

attached to the active feet be kcpt
fully manned, ready Tor any duty.
Il am Of the opinion, he says, "thGt
such ships AS alc main tuineu in the
active fleet should be in effective battle
condition at all times. Ac reduction OF
complement in order to permit ad-
ditional vessels to be commissioned |
consider unwise from every point of
view
The operations and maEeuvers dur
ing the year emphasized the lack of
certain important types Jf vessels. In
fleet problem No. ]. played in January
while en- route to guantanamo, two in
ierior forces were enabled to evade u
superior oreadnaught force as the lat
Ter failed. through absence Of cruisers,
TO locate either of the inferior forces
\ few days later, In problem No. =. our
main body was located and tracked by
uestroyer6, owing 10 our IaCH
of scouting vessels and cruisers. Our
fleet lacked the last cruisers that are
necessary to give information of the
position of the enemy as well as TO
deny the enemy information of our po-
sition and to screen our own forces.
I'm department strategiCal problem
No. /. played May 1925. the lack of
heavily armored fast vessels and light
cruisers was especially felt For seven
days. from the start OF the problem nm
til 1t ended, the Blue commander had
no reliable information OF the position
| or movements of the enemy, while the
enemy. due to superior cruiser force,
was we'll Informed OF our movements
and dispositions at all times. 1t is be-
| lieved that had we possessed an eff
| cient force OF fast sea-going submarines
in this problem they could have been
utilized to great advantage.
Destroyers Unsuited For Work.
The winters work made it evident
| that destroyers are quite unsuited for
scouting except under very favorable
| circumstances. Their radio communica-
ton is reliable for short distances
| only. Their reliance Tor safety is based
entirely on their speed, and in moder-
atcly rough seas this is so much re-
| duced as to render them a prey to
fast enemy cruisers.
| AT present there are no vessels in
| the Atlantic fleet for mine-sweeping OF
| a tyne that has Proved successful
| abroad. The four tugs fitted with
| sweeping gear are Of too deep draft to
! make them efficient mine sweepers, and
J are too costly type to utilize in such
} work. DeStroyerS can be used in emery
| enCY. but they are much too costly and
| not suitable for handling heavy sweeps
! while the light sweeps provided for
| them are not effective in dislodging
| heavy mines. II is important that
\ mine-sweeping methods and equipment
be developed at an early date. and that
! available trawlerS be organized into a
| reserve for use In war.
! ITO assist in locating the enemy dur
| ing the May war problem. weather con-
| ditionS We're such that air craft would
! have been OF considerab bic assistance.
! consider II important that this branch
| he developed and as soon as practicable
| air craft be assigned to operate with
the fleet. when engaged in combined
maneuvers. to assist in controlling gun
| fire. locating mine fields or subma rnos,
and In operations Of a special nature"
The Washington times., 1916-01-20
ADMIRAL FLETCHER ON THE
NAVY

that perfection is rare and that
criticism is easy. Admirai
Fletcher, commander Of the Atlantic
fleet, in the remarkable report on
the work and condition of that or
ganization within the last year, de-
votes himself more to criticism than
to congratulation. There are many
good things to be said about the
navy. 1t is not total loss without
insurance. 1t has body of officers
and men equal to any in the world
in proportion, however, to very in
adequate numbers. 1t is growing
but not fast enough. 1t has made in
the last year a gunnery record OF
which the commander gives this
summary:
This shows an average increase for
the foregoing vessels of something over
80 per cent. Tho rules Of the com
petition have varied from year to year,
so that it Is difficult to make an exact
comparison with the work OF preceding
years. but making due allowance Tor
all changes, il is believed the scores
fore in the open sea
An improvement Of 80 per cent is
excellent, provided it is Improvement
over a record previously good. The
fact that so great an improvement
could be accomplished in one year
suggests that perhaps the point of
beginning was not high; and Con-
gresham Gardner has brought to
bear testimony which seems to bear
out this suspicion. Comparison with
gunnery results IN other navies
would be still more enlightening.
On the side of material, organiza-
ton, the balancing of different fac
tors, the supply of officers and men,
, the Fletcher report is aSsuredly far
from gratifying. The essential parts
of the document are printed, for the
first time, in another part of this
paper today. 1t is worthy of the
most thoughtful attention by every
person who has any possible interest
, from whatever viewpoint. in the
national condition of readiness to
meet an enemy or to defend the
country.
Admiral Fletcher makes clear one
thing that has been many times
urged heretofore: that there is not
a proper relationship and balance
between the various factors in the
total of our naval power. There is
pressing need Of scout ships, Of fast
battle cruisers, Of mine sweepers. of
an aviation corps, of better facilities
at the naval bases, of more target
shooting at long ranges, of anti
aircraft guns, of a score of other
absolutely essential elements in the
equipment of feet for present day
effective naval campaigning. The
cruisers are not fast enough. There
arc not enough experienced officers
in anv department Of the service
| The submarines. nowadays regarded
trightfully as supremely important
get a pitifully bad character; they
have not stood the test Of service
and are hopelesslv inadequate ir
number.
The Fletcher report impresse'
powerfully the conclusion that {
general, complete, top-to-botton
| oyerh aulinp of the navy is necessary
and must not be delayed
The Washington times., 1916-01-20
AND WASHINGTON The VICTIM /

| n oIdteS1ndn Ol Some local us
tinction introduced the other day a
bill to impose tax of 81 per gallon
on every gallon of gasolene sold at
10 cents, and an additional tax of
81 for every cent added to the price
above Is cents.
This on the theory that the law of
supply and demand can be repealed
in an instant; that if Congress says
gasolene shall not go up to Is cents
it will remain forever below that
figure, and the supply will be ample
This measure suggests magnif-
cent possibilities for the development
of new economic theory that will
readily solve the problem of living
costs. Almost everything is costing
more than almost everybody likes
to pay. Why not make an inventory
of all the things folks use, and fix
maximum prices beyond which it
should be criminal to increase them
Wheat, for instance, could be legis-
! lated down to, say, 40 cents a
bushel; bread to 9 cents the loaf ;
the upset price on hogs should be a
cents, and on bacon perhaps 9 cents.
Nobody should charge more than Sl3
for "any suit Of clothes in the house,
and brains should be marked down
to, perhaps, 80 below zero.
If the farmers refused to raise
wheat at these standardized prices,
take the brutes out and shoot 'em.
Likewise the butchers, bakers, can
dlestick makers, and sweatshop
owners, if they didn't gladly produce
their staples at the legal rates.
1t is a wonderfully simple plan
for revising the laws of commerce,
industry, and finance.
How doubly fortunate is the city
of Washington, Its government is
dominated by the eminent statesman
and economist whose mind gave
birth to this wondrous program.
The Honorable Ben Johnson of
Kentucky may be laughed at when
he introduces bill to tax gasolene
81 a gallon for every cent its price
goes above Is cents. 1t is very
funny. The newspapers write de-
risive editorials about it; fellow
members of Congress apologize for
such outbreaks of concrete fooleryi
the gayety of the nations is well-nigl
revived, even in these gloomy times
by contemplation Of the grotesque
possibilities of American statesman.
ship.
But there is one body of people
who can't afford to laugh. don't dare
dcride. must not permit the ripple OF
a risible. 1t would be dangerous.
For the statesman whose states
manship is capable Of producing such
u monument of absurdity is the
Chairman of the House Committee
on the District of Columbia.
He governs Washington with al
the intelligence, the breadth o,
vision, the grasp of Fundamental
economics that he brings to bear il
his dealings with the gasolene ques
ton.
How would Congress like to hav,
that sort of statecraft dominate it
management of the nation?
How would the Committee OF
| Ways and Means, which continue
Johnson as head of the Committee OF
District of Columbia, like to be hel,
really responsible for making thi
man boss Of Washington
The Washington times., 1916-01-20
Amusements.

New Nauonal-Elsie Ferguson in Margaret
schiller SIS p. m.
Belasco-Mlle. DaZie in Maid in America.
S.2U y. m.
roli's--"Tess OF the Storm Country" 2;l5 and
>:lJ y m.
krith's-VsudevilIc. 2;l5 and S:l5 p. n.
Casiuo-''St Elmo" g:lJ and Sis p. N.
Gay y-- EurlesQue. @.lj and S:l5 p. III.
Loew's Columbia a-Photoplays. 1850 m. TO
II d.
The Washington times., 1916-01-20
Lighthouse Officials
Planning Betterments

A conference OF the lighthouse Of
ficisls of the Potomac AMI Chesapeake
Bay District has been called to meet
improvements in the apparatus aui
service in the local district.
A general conference OF lighthouse of-
ficials from all districts will be held in
Washington February 7, for general
discussion Of needed impr ovements and
suggestions for betterment Of the ser
vice.
The Washington times., 1916-01-20
Shortage of Men Too.

Second in importance to the shortage
OF officers Is the shortage OF men. The
shortage OF men in the Atlantic fleet,
coupled with the shortage Of officers
has prevented the fleet from attaininG Z
Too much emphasis cannot be placed on
what | believe the most serious weak
ness in the fleet today-lack of trained
officers and shortage OF enlisted men.
To eQualizc the shortage in the differ
cnt vessels there results a constant
Exchange of officers and men, tending
to promote instability and to wea ken
the efficiency OF the various units Of the
fleet. with few exceptions every vessel
In the Atlantic feet is short of the
complement of officers and men neces-
sary for battle. The shortage Of en-
listed men in the battleships alone, az /
reported in January. lHl@, exceeds 90"
men.
This shortage OF men has been re
Vcaled in every operation OF tho feet
and has been reported in Inspections
throughout the year. Conditions have
not improved and at the close OF the
greater than at any other time OF TN"
year In one division of four batticsh.ps
| the division commander in his June in
| spcctiOn. reported a shortage OF l,3I
| men or an average of more thaa SD
| men in each ship.
The shortage Of enlisted mon. like
that OF officers. exists in all types -:
! ships in the fleet. 4 captain OF on" Of
the mine wing cruisers reports: The
| existing shortage in the vessels compile
ment now amounts to twenty-five pei
| cont of the whole and thirty per Cent
! in the seaman branch. resulting in 4
serious handicap to the ships work :
The Washington times., 1916-01-20
MAIL BAG
(From The Times Reddersl

Communications TO tho Mail Rag must
ne written or one side Of Ghc paper
only; must not exceed 200 words ~
length, and must he sikned with ame
and address OF sender. The publication
OF letters in The Times Mall Rag does
not mean the Endorsement by fhr Times
OF the opinions OF the writer. The Mai!
bag is an open forum. where the c'u-
zcns OF Washington can argue most
questions.
The Washington times., 1916-01-20

shortage OF officers is certain to result
IN lessening OF efficiency.
Il respectfully invite the attention OF
the department TO n comparison be-
tween the number OF officers in our
battleships and the number in the two
leading navics of the world. I nave se-
lected for this comparison the Della
ware. OF our navy. the Beleropbon. OF
the British navy. and the Hclgoland. OF
the German navy, all battleships of APP
proximately the same speed and dis
nj
The Washington times., 1916-01-20

attempt to get past the undesirable
alien" bar.
II would seem about time TO IN
iect some sense into the immigration
inspection.
The Washington times., 1916-01-20
One Year Ago Today in the War

The two gigantic armies we're deadocked Flanders.
Russia claimed Austrian resistance breaking in Hungary and
that the Russian advance unchecked.
Allied aircraft bombarded the Krupp plant at Essen.
Germany planned invasion of Serbia with $4,000
German War Minister Fakenhayn who succeeded Mote
resigned his post
The Washington times., 1916-01-20
SHOWS j. s.
HAS NO REAL FLEET
Amazing Conditions Brought to
Light in Criticisms BY Ad-
miral Fletcher.
Continued from First PageD

inns remarkable document IT seems
10 bear out the most severe criticism
mat has been directed against the con-
dition of the navy.
In transmitting this report TO tho
senate, Secretary OF the Navy Daniels
sent y letter calling attention TO the
lact that the report was devoted mainly
To presentation of criticisms OF tho
navy; many entirely satisfactory fea-
lures were left unconsidered because
II was not deemed necessary to point
them out