Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-12-09
ADMIRAL MAYO
PAYS TRIBUTE
TO THE NAVY
Compliments Worthy Achieve
ments OF u. S. Sea
Power
HE URGES A GREATER
UNITED STATES FLEET
Hopes Lesson Of War Will Mean
The Building Of More
Ships

Just before going aboard the flag
ship. the Pennsylvania. to command
the escort on the Presidential voyage
to Europe. Vice Admiral Henry T.
Mayo paid warm tribute TO the Amer
lean navy for is heroic achievements
and voiced the hope that the lesson of
the war will find expression in a
greater navy
Americas sea force has been active
through the last year of war side by
side with the British navy, and has
met every test with courage and intel
ligence, the Admiral said. He re-
turned only few days ago from a
three months inspection tour of all
the naval posts and Sc fleets abroad,
and his word not only carries author
ity, but is the last TO come across the
sea from American squadrons and 40
tillas. The Admiral gave his message
in an interview at the McAlpin hotel.
He is commanding officer of the At
lantic squadron. and this is his first
word to the country since we went to
war.
Proud of American Navy
II am proud of the American navy,
and / am proud of young America"
the Admiral said. Not only have our
men shown the greatest courage on
every occasion and proven their alert
ness and intelligence by quickly adapt
ing themselves to new conditions, but
in all their relations with the people
of other nations with whom they have
been rubbing shoulders their conduct
has been splendid. We may all we'll
be proud of Them
Admiral Mayo made no effort to con-
ceal his pride when he said
Admiral Beatty had SO American
war ships in one unit in his command.
l asked him what sort of service men
and ships were giving and Beatty
answered, Well, if had chance to
change these SO ships for any other
46 wouldn't think it was worth while
navy could not receive a much finer
tribute than that"
The Admiral was seated in a big
arm chair in his apartment as he care
fully summarized in few words his
observations of months extending over
half the world. After the fashion of
men who live at sea, he appeared to be
looking in the distance as he gave his
message. He speaks slowly and with
marked elaboration. His tanned face
and clear gray eyes were the express
sion of his perfect health.
"What War Has Taught.
Asked for an opinion on what the
war has taught to the military men he
though. for fully half minute and
then said:
al am convinced that the salvation
of America and probably the peace of
the world depend upon two things;
first, big and efficient navy and sec
ond, universal military training.
IF we had had those two things the
war would not have been prolonged as
it was; probably we would not have
been in the war. hope that the many
members Of Congress who have been
to France and learned conditions at
first hand see that it is the better to
spend few hundred millions in being
ready for any emergency rather than
spending billions when it is too late
and losing countless lives in addition. !"
SNot Behind Other Nayies."
The war has shown that we are not
behind the other navies of the world,
the Admiral said. Our war ships OF
every class were as good and were in
ships of the other nayies. In some re-
spects we were better.
Our outfits were complete, oul
range finders and firing were as good
And what gave me special pleasure
was that when we went to work along
side the great British navy we soor
learned that our system of training /:
efficient and thorough We have moth
ing to be ashamed of in any respect
when we joined the British wal
fleet we had some details to learn
But considering the fact that the Brit
1 A0l n0A OCCA OA q Wal O0o4o AOA AlAOA'
than three years and that we hurried
into action it was most gratifying
that we stood the test.
when our feet came north from
its last winter practice we were bet
ter prepared for war than we eve
had been. That proved most for
tunate. There followed little falling
off, but that was due merely to tn,
fact that our trained forces were scat
tered and spread out to cover the add
ed units.
Showed AdaptabiIity
Admiral Beatty expressed to me
his great surprise at the quick adj
| justment of our navy to war work II
everything they were called on to de-
the Americans showed remarkable
adaptability. They worked with force