New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-28

undertaken TO overcome that also.
Congress has increased the number
of midshipmen allowed at the Naval
Academy and also the number OF en-
listed men. 1t will take some years
TO train the officers, but probably
good deal could be done within a
wear with enlisted men If we could
only get them to enlist at once.
The main difficulty is that, though
we may be able TO get large number
if war breaks out, that large number
will be almost useless, and may be
worse than useless for some moLths,
because unframed. Something has got
TO be done to persuade men to en-
list and 20 induce men VINO have
been in the navy to come back. To
do this tremendous inducement must
be offered or they will not come IN
tlrae of peace, rs our experience lor
thirty years unfortunately proves
Furthermore. il is no small thing
TO ask men 20 join an unprepared
navy Oh the brink OF war, and the
most valuable men are the hardest
20 get. mean the men who nave
already been in the navy, because
most of them have established them
selves in civil life ana have famlleS
and more or less lucrative POSITIONS
I do not believe we shall get enough
men. quickly enough, in the present
condition OF affairs without oher-
inc large pecuniary inducements:
with provision for the families OF
the men who enlist. and in the case
of employers Of these men agree
ments to keep their places open Tor
the employees when they come DacN
10 civil life.
1000 More Men for Navy
This last may cause large pecu-
mary sacrifices on the part OF EN-
Movers. But remember two things;
remember the pecuniary sacrlhees
they have to make, and also remem
ber the pecuniary sacrifices you VII!
have to make if the lower part OF
New York is shelled for one hour
bv one battle cruiser; If New YORK
* bombarded for one day by ntty
aeroplanes: if our coast Is effective
Iv blockaded by a German fleet: II
Germany lands 100000 men IN Mas
sachusetts Bay. $500
Gentlemen, we need oO,VOO more
enlisted men in the navy. not un-
trained men, but trained men. We
need them at this moment.
Coming to the fourth weaNness'
aeronautics, we are more behlnd IN
aeronautics than in any other thing.
But. gentlemen. while aeronautlcs Is
the weakest place in our defence
aeronautics is the one bright spot IN
the whole situation. If we will take
mn the aeronautical matter with en-
ergv and promptness and on SUI
fciently large scale we can get ready
hv the middle of summer 10 pre-
vent invasion absolutely, and We can
oct ready to prevent blockade by the
early fall.
The battle plane is the most mod
ern instrument of war. more modern
than the submarine. IL combines the
nrime military clements OF power end
mobility in a higher degree tnan does
anv other weapon used on land. and
= used in sufficient numbers, 1t can
direct an attack on a heet. espe-
cially on the light vessels OF meet
which they have not yet Learned 70
answer. The largest battle plane
costs only $4,000. Thirty-tnrec OF
them could be made Tor Sl,OOO oVV
and $50 for Sl0,000,0OO. There would
he no trouble in this country OF
hundred million people in getting
the sviators TO handle them. and
am informed on excellent authority
that there would be no real DIM
cuIty in getting the necessary ma
chimes and training the personnel to
handle them skilfully in six months.