The Sentinel=record., 1917-12-20
YOUNG MEN HEROES
 Ok ARMED MERCHANTMEN
As to OVercoats Too Small and Shoes Too Big Admiral McGowan Shifts Responsibility 10 Failure 10 Carry Out His Orders, or Things He Said Would Not Be So.

Washington, Dec 19-A recital by secretary Daniels of how the navy prepared for war by adding several hundred ships to the fleet and let tlng contracts for hundreds of others including dreaduaughts, battle crlis- CTS, destroyers and auxiliaries. and an explanation of the operation of the navy supply department fy Rear Ad- mlral McGowan, paymaster general , marked the opening today of the in duiry by house subcommittee into the nayy's war activities.
 The sub ub-committee adiourned +o- night without fixing any time for re- suming the hearing and probably will not meet again until after Christmas. Representative Britton of Illinois asked Secretary Daniels whether the department had received any com
 plalnts from Vice Admiral Sims.
 commanding American navy forces in | the var zone. The secretary said the
 question was improper and said that
 gossip should not be banded about. that Admiral Sims was receiving full ! cooperation.
 Later when Admiral McGowan was called to the stand he submitted an
 order issued by him some months ago directing that Admiral Sims requests
 Tor supplies be acted upon on the
 same day they were received.
 We have 424 ships in course of
 construction" Secretary Daniels told
 the committee. "That does not in
 ciude submarine chasers of which we
 are building $50, and does not incIu1e
 the small craft. The chasers will be
 in service by early spring"
 The navy at the beginning of its participation in the war, the witness
 said, had at it's disposal the money
 needed for most of the expansion inn
 onediately required and in pressing
 cases where funds were acking over obligations wero incurred. Within
 the lasl few days the navy has had 10 ask for $86,O0o, 600 in addition to
 regular estimates amounting to s1.- l 029,0o0,000 for the next fiscal year
 now before the house naval commit tee.
 1 Secretary Daniels said the navy l now had more than one thousand 1 ships in commission as against 300
 two years ago, and an enlisted per-
 sonnel of 2S0000 officers and men compared with 6L6S0 men and 4.376 1 officers when America declared war. Has the navy measured up?" he was asked
 ".t is my firm belief at the close of the investigation your answer will he 'it has, and the country has every reason to repose confidence in tie navy" Admiral McGowan explained 10 the committee that all purchases for the entire naval establishment except ar nor plate, guns and ammunition has been centralized in the bureau of SUD- ipIes and accounts under his direction so that advantage could be taken of 1 favorable market conditions, every- where the markets are about normal, [ he said, this being reflected in in creased cost of naval operations. in cuding the daily ration allowance. As an Illustration of how the bu- relu opera es to secure needed sup l plies when none available on the open market, Admiral McGowan told of se.zing 1000 tons of tin. "We needed the tin and tried to get it," the witness said, but the tin I plate people did not want to give it lup because it would interfere with
 their stocks. The war inquiries board
 had no power 70 commander the tin. We fond out where there was tin stocks and sent naval officers to those places. with orders to hold the
 tin subject to navy orders l. was mot commandeerlne, just seized. We wanted to force into the market for spot sales any amount of tin out of
 the hands of speculation. The mar
 ket price was S4 cents, the naval price
 was 6G.
 1 Admiral McGowan, reverting to
 suggestion of Representative Brilton
 that shoes too large and overcoats too small had been sent to the Great ! alyae otatfnu oaEd had bfg orda-.