The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-03-08
Something Every Man Should Know
Clear Careful Statement of Our Military Resources at Present

NEW N1dlSIl iiSSs SAAAA~As
and comprehensive summary of the
unpreparedness of this country Tor
war was made by j. Bernard Walker,
editor of the Scientific American,
who is chairman of the Navy commit
tee of the, National Security League,
in an interview today.
Mr.. Walker said:
"In view of the fact that President
Wilson is reported to have asked Tor
a statement from the Army and Navy
departments of the present condition
of our naval and military forces, both
as regards the men and material at
present available and the proposed
plans for enlargement, the statement
recently published by the conference
committee of League on National pre-
paredness is very opportune. This
committee, of which Henry A. Wise
is chairman, went very fully into this
question and secured its data exclus-
lively from official sources in the War
department and Navy department.
"The Navy as it exists today is
made up of ships in full commission
and of ships not in full commission.
Of the former we have 224, of ships
not in full commission we have 127.
The ships in full commission are those
which are fully differed and manned
and are either under order or liable
to orders for service without previous
notice. The ships not in full commits
sion are those maintained at navy
yard and kept ready for use on short
notice. They have reduced compile
ments of officers and men. Under this
head are included ships in commits
SION and lin ordinary which have
compliments of officers and men suf-
ficient to enable them to be properly
cared for.
Ships out of commission have no
personnel on board and repairs may he
done upon them or not as the depart
ment sees fit.
LII Gllc .SNCliG VI Wo1t w. go
full commission would be Immediately
available, and of these the most i'm
portant elements are the battleshlps
of which we have Ia, made up of IL
dreadnoughts and one pre-dread-
nought; destroyers of which we have
38, and submarines which total 38.
Less important ships are the armored
cruisers of which there are 8, with
eight second and third class cruisers
and Is gunboats. In the way of auxil-
iaries, we have in commission only
three transports, four supply ships, 20
fuel ships and about a dozen other
auxiliaries of the more important
type.
"Under the head of ships not in full
commission we have 13 second-line
battleships of the predreadnought type
33 destroyers, 5 submarines and va
rious vessels of less Importance in
modern warfare, seven armored cruis-
ers and II torpedo boats of moderate
speed.
"At the outbreak of the war there
would be an immediate call for putting
all existing ships in full commission,
and the Secretary of the Navy states
that in the effort to do this the Navy
would find itself short of 938 officers,
8,O49 regulars, and 1880 reserves,
after using 5000 militia and 463 fleet
reserves. He states further that the
shortage will increase for each new
ship commissioned in 1917 and 1918,
and that the three-year program alone
will call for 29,127 additional men.
'Now this extremely serious short
age in personnel has resulted from the
fact that in the past we have authoriz-
ed the ships without authorizing a
corresponding number of officers and
n.en to man them.
"I am convinced that the only salts
factory way to remedy these condl-
tons is for Congress, when it provides
for new ships, to provide also for the
officers and men required to man then
at the rate of so many per each hund.
red tons dis. lacement.
"The new Navy which we are about
to build under the wonderful three
year program has been won from
Congress mainly by the efforts of the
people, and believe that of all pop
ular efforts to this end, none has bee,
so effectual as the propaganda Of TIT
National Security League. The pro
gram calls for what is practically ;
new navy, totalling no less than Isl
ships, and including 10 bsttleships,
battle-cruisers, 10 scouts, and larg
increase in our destroyer and subma
rine fleets.
"This brings us to the question o
the present status of the Navy in re
spect to ships under construction. o
tho lread'aoughts, contracts have beel
let for nine ships, three of which ar
ao3uc 65 per cent completed, two hav
recently been started and four, be
ing the first of the three-year pro
gram, have been let and are about 8
be laid down.