The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-12-20
Secretary Daniels Startles
Senate Investigating
Committee
BY GIVING FACTS
AND FIGURES
Chasers Have Proved Valu-
able-Guns the Things
Necessary

Washington. d. c., Dec. 20.-The navy
has 42s capital and other classes of ships
in the course of construction to-day.
This total does not include the $50 sub
marine chasers. all of which will be com
pleted by spring, or any other small
craft. OF the 1876 contracts for the ex-
pendit,me of $70,000000 which have been
made since war was declared, only 50
contracts for S26,000000 have been let
on the cost plus basis, which is salts
factory only under existing conditions,
necessitating the giving Of financial as
sistance to builders if ships are to be
constructed rapidly. The foregoing were
the outstanding features of the state
ment made yesterday by Secretary Dan
iels before committee of the House
committee on naval affairs, which began
an investigation of all of the war actiyi
ties of the navy department The ses
sion yesterday morning made 1T evident
that the investigation will be entirely
friendly. Chairman Oliver of Alabama
informed Mr.. Daniels when he took the
witness chair that the committee was not
appointed because of complaints it had
received, rather that the committee be-
leves the navy has played its part well
since the beginning of the war; and that
if the investigation develops any short |
comings, the committee will try to make
its criticism helpful.
Congressman Britton Of Illinois was
the only member of the committee who
questioned the secretary closely. 1t was
one of his questions, asked shortly after
the hearing opened, which called forth
the statement by Mr.. Daniels in regard
to the number of ships the navy is con
e ,lnra-
doubtful whether the press should pub.
fish the figures, but the secretary said I
there was absolutely no reason why the
country should not be permitted to know
what the navy is doing along this line
anyone could get these figures by
studying reports for short time" he
said.
One of the great problems he said, was
to furnish gun crews to merchant ships,
1--WE made these reserve ships" said
Mr.. Daniels, "a school for gunners and
the efficiency with which these officers
have taken hold of the young men and
made the young men efficient is really
one of the big things of the navy in this
war.
when you come to write the story of
the war;" said he, zone of the most thrill !
ling chapters will be regarding these
young men who went in the merchant
ships and risked their lives | refer to
those who went on our own merchant
ships, of course. We have put guns on
every ship going into submarine war
zones that requested it.
1--WE are rather proud the secretary
said, "of the way the navy has met the
actual test of war. / am glad for Con-
gress and the public to know somewhat !.
Of our activities. A taking stock, so to !.
speak, cannot fail to bring ways for still :
further improvement and for still more Il
efficient work in the future. We feel we
have done well, but we still have prob :
ems, some of them very difficult, which :
we have been trying to solve in the best
way possible in the very brief time al
Gifted to solve them"
Representative Britton asked what 7
complaints had been made to the navy u
department. by Vice Admiral Sims. ?
Il think that is not proper question :
o ask" said Secretary Daniels. Il will II
ay, though, inasmueh as the question 2
las been asked in open session, that Ad- .
niral Sims has been given everything II
hat the navy has that it could give 81
Secretary Daniels said he did not be-
ieve mess gossip should be banded y
bout" d
IF Admiral Sims he added, sis not CT
citing everything that is needed, 1t is m
natter for operations to say whether he
hould have it. Operations has spent W
tself giving all that Admiral Sims W
eeds that the department has. | think al
his is very petty and small business" NJ
I'm asking about facts said Brit IN
on. al
IF you have any facts give them, err
hot back the secretary. ne
Britton said he hoped il was not the
esire of the committee merely to show sc
he favorable condition of the navy to
IF commanding officer here or W
broad" said Brittou, complains that as
e is not getting what he wants it is
roper TO ask about it"
"As to whether every requirement of
dmiral Sims on the European station l.
as been complied with" repeated the tn
'cretsry, "or whether every matter of O.
rategy has been complied with, | would be