The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-01-20
TO RETAIN PRESENT YARDS.
SPECIAL BOARD ADVISES KEEP
ING OF ALL NAVAL STATIONS
NOW EXISTING.
Report Includes Improving of Char
lesion Navy Yard to Large Extent
Want More Bases Established for
Submarines.

washington, Jan. ll.-hetenIlOn OI
all existing navy yards, establish
ment Of submarine bases on the At
lantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts and
a thorough aeronautic survey of the
coast Of the United States and its
possessions. We're recommended to
congress today in preliminary re-
port by a special commission Of
naval officers appointed by President
Wilson.
The commission consisted of Rear
Admiral j. M. Helm. Chief Construc-
tor w. L. Capps, Civil Engineer H. H.
Rousseau, Capt, G. w. McElroy and
Com. c. L. Hussey. 1t spent several
months making inspections along the
coasts and announced today that more
Investigations will be necessary be-
fore complete reports can be made on
many questions.
On the abolition Of navy yards the
report recommends: "That It is un-
necessary. undesirable and inadvis-
able to abolish at this time any ex-
listing navy yard or naval station
within the continental limits of the
United States"
The commission said the develop
ment of the New Orleans navy yard
to q first rate naval base 'is to be
considered as remote" owing to its
distance from the mouth Of the Mis-
sissippi river and strategic reasons. but
that yard should be retained up to the
capacity Of It's floating dry dock.
The commission was without suf-
ficient engineering data to make n
satisfactory report regarding further
development Of the navy yard at
Charleston. 8. c.. so it could handle
the largest ships of the navy. but an
nounced that immediate steps shoul d
be taken to improve the yard SO rs
to permit full utilization OF its present
dock and repair facilities.
The report said it was inadvisahle
at this time I'd consider the possible
development Of the Pensacola naval
station except it's utilization as sup
ply base and as a base for submarines es
and destroyefs.
In arriving at its conclusion. the
commi1slnn saxa: .Eull cousidAratioS,
Urrne present and prospective size OF
our navy. itsrequirements not only in
peace. but during the far more exact
ing conditions Of war should bring
convincing evidence that the abolish
nent at this time of an existing navy
yard or naval station within the con-
tinental limits Of the United States is
without justification"
The report explains that this should
not be taken to mean that there mis- mt
not be transfer Of work from one yard
to another or changes in methods of
handling work at certain plants. 1t
declares that the present equipment
Of many yards Is adequate in dry dock
ing facilities. berthing space. storage
facilities, machinery and other details.
1T IL not only unequal for the re-
quirements Of the fleet" says the re-
port. "but will be seriously inadequate e
for Its proper maintenance when the
fleet Is completed to it's present au-
thorized strength"
Not all the yards ARE ideally lo-
Gated" to meet strategic and other ro-
quirements, but the commission con-
cludes that such considerations must
have little force" In view Of actual
conditions and the actual requirements
Of the present and prospective fleet.
The report says in answer to the
statement that greater concentra-
ton Of yards would be economical that
the question Of economy as deter
mined by concentration of naval re-
pair establishments must yield abso-
lutely to the far more serious necess-
ties Of the fleet as undue concentra-
ton Of such naval repair esta blish-
ments might very easily involve in
time Of war military disaster"
These facts and the fact that there
Is large investment ir existing
yards, the use to which they could ne
put for fleet repair purposes and for
taking care Of merchant ships that
would be taken over in case Of war
leaves the commission with 10
doubt In its mind" as to the adyisa-
bility Of their retention. Its recon-
mendation includes the present and
the near future"
The commission says it is unable
at this time to determine locations
Tor aviation bases but recommen lis
IN addition IN