Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-12-09
Lack Of Adequate Naval Sta
tons Is Grave Menace to
United States, Experts Say
With Emphasis,
NO EQUIPMENT NOW
SOUTH OF HATTERAS
Not a Crane That VIII Lift
Gun Out of Tunet of Bat
tIeShipi Guam Is Unde-
defended,

sY MORNING Journal SPECIAL LFbsEo wiREi
New York. Dec. 8.-ThC lack OF
adequate naval stations as a weak
ness in the naval establishment Of the
United states was discussed here to-
day by Rear Admirals Bradley A,
Fiske and John r. Edwards, both re-
tired, before the American Society OF
Mechanical Engineers.
They spoke after the reading of a
paper by Prof w. L. Cathcart, nav
al consulting engineer Of Philadel-
phia. dealing with the deficiencies Of
the land end Of the countrys naval
affairs. Both the rear admirals en-
dorsed what Prof Cathcart said. Rear
Admiral Edwards said IT there were
no other way to get money to build
up the shore stations he would cut
one capital ship from the appropria-
tons in order to do so.
South Of Hatteras you haven't a
crane that viii lift a gun out Of tur-
ret Of battleship," he said "and 1t Is
q fact that there IS not place along
the coast south OF that cape where n
battloship could go for repairs. We
need base to protect the Panama
canal.
"a base at Charleston would make
an enemy extend his line of opera
tons 500 or GOO miles, which would
take a dozen more capital ships"
DO Not Realize Danger,
Rear Admiral Fiske said that the
american people do not realize their
danger any more than does a baby on
a railroad track lie said ii was the
auty Of the mechanical engineers to
point out to their fellow citizens
what our country must do or per
ish."
Professor Catheart said several
American naval stations now could
be seized with ease If the American
fleet were first defeated. According
to the stations on the coast, he said,
they all lie within an airline dis
lance of 500 miles although our At
Ianuc ana gulf coast lines are more
than 5000 miles long, II an enemy
should gain possession Of these 500
miles of coast, our drcadnaughts
would be homeless unless the fleet
could flee to the bay of Panama"
The Caribbean sea, for its size, he
said, has more strategic positions than
any other important eXpansc Of sea
en- the globe, and that for tho United
States the mastery Of the Caribbean
I'm war il almost vital since that
mastery Is the bulwark of our de-
Tense of the Monroe doctrine and the
Panama canal
Gum Neglected
Passing to conditions in the Pacific
ocean, Professor Cathcart said that
Guam and Hawaii should be our NAL
Ia and Gibraltar against any enemy
sailing from the Far East and yet
Guam lies. neglected at the very
threshold of the Far East, an easy
prey for any foreign nation which
would dare war with ms to take it
The need Of dry docks and chan
nels to the navy Yards he said, us an
amazing instance Of naval unpre-
parodness We have been building
and are to build great dreadnaughts
WHICH Ul llitNtiiA yum ''N NAbNhAh f'''F
at four widely separated navy yards
New York Norfolk, Bremerton and
Pearl Harhor. The possible conse-
Quencos after hut one great naval bat
Tie are appalling"
Considcrinr our "unequaled and i'll
defended wealth, inviting spoliation,'
our immense territory, and the fact
that the United states navy us really
o diHuited states navy since we have
two widely separated coasts linked by
O canal which may fail us in a crisis,
either by slides or direct attack with
high explosives" he said. the "conclu-
sion is inevitable that We should keep
permanently In each ocean a battle
fleet strong enough to defeat decisive
IN any probable enemy there.