New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-04
Types So UNACCEPTABLE They
Would Be "A Herd Of
White Elephants,'' He Says
Would Divide the U-Boats
Admiral Tells House Z. S.
Navy Is Superior to Brit
aims in Many Respects

committee to-day by Rear Admiral
kodman, who commanded the American
fleet in the North Sea during the war
lie said the German ships would not
be needed; that they were of different
types from those Of the Allies. and
that it would be waste of money
to pay to maintain them.
During the war the combined Brit
ish and American fleets have had such
predominating superiority over the
German fleet that it dared not come
out and fight US Admiral Rodman
said. of that supremacy could be
maintained when the German fleet was
in existence, what would be the OBJ
ject in adding their ships to our force
when the danger of theirs attacking US
{ has been removed?
"The expense of maintaining the
ships would be enormous. The types
are entirely different from those Of the
British and American fleets. They arc
equipped with different guns and use
different kind of ammunition. The
expense of making them correspond
to ours would be almost prohibitlve.
Will Become Obsolete
"Furthermore there is no object for
the Allies to keep them for protection.
BY the time Germany can build new
ones and again become competitor
tor the worlds largest feet these ships
will have become obsolete and would
have to be thrown away anyhow
Admiral Rodman said the ships
L. Lo
and sunk $50 deep that they could
never be found again. adding that if
the Allies keep them they will soon find
they "have annexed a herd Of white
elephants"
The admiral thought, however, that
all the surrendered vessels except the
capital ships should be kept ut
would be foolish to sink the subma-
rines, destroyers and light cruisers" he
said, 'as they will be very useful for
years to come. My belief is that every
ching worth while in the German navy
should be kept, but that everything
which can be dispensed with should be
discarded.'
American Ships Superior
Asked how the officers and enlisted
men of the American navy compared
with those of the British navy, Admiral
Rodman said that in many respects
American personnel as we'll as our
ships had shown points of superiority.
"Before the war our ships were equal
to any in the world" he said. "Soon
after we entered the war the efficiency
of our fleet was lowered because of the
sending of so many armed crews to the
merchant service and by the tremendous
expansion. But after our fleet had
been merged with the British Grand
Fleet and we had time to get back on
our old footing, Qur fleet was equal to
theirs in every respect.
"Now, after a year of war, there is
not a shadow of difference between the
two, and | believe that as far as our
personnel is concerned, it is very much
superior. This is particularly true of
the commissioned officers, for no other
reason that that our officers are large
ly college men.
"The enlisted personnel Of our navy
is much more adaptable, for the reason
that our men are taught from their
eaglest schooldays to be self-reliant
and also because there is no great
social class distinctions between the
officers and men. In many cases they
are drawn from the same social strata
Praises British Navy
Admiral Rodman made it clear, how
ever, that he did not want to appear to
be drawing sharp contrasts between
the naves of the two countries, "be-
cause the British navy has proven that
it is amply able to take care of itself
and has helped ours, with the greatest
friendlincss, in many ways"
Asked By Representative Butler, Of
Pennsylvania, if he believed the
friendly feeling between the two navies
was natural and lasting, Admiral Rod
man said he was positive of it.
prom the time my feet reported in
British waters the greatest considera-
ton was shown u.s." he said. "There
has never been the slightest feeling OF
Misunderstanding. 1t was as though
our feet was part of theirs, or theirs
a part of ours"
Admiral Rodman said the proposed
annual visits of the British feet to this
country and of the American fleet to-
England would help greatly to cement
the feeling of friendship between the
nations.
con one occasion when King George
visited the American ship New York"
Admiral Rodman said, che heartily APP
proved of these proposed visits, say
ing that they would tend toward max
ing permanent the feeling Of friend
ship, which is infinitely more binding
than any treaty that could be signed
The King suggested that part of the
fleet accompany the Prince Of Wales
when he comes here next spring"
u. S. Squadron a Standard
The admiral said it was freely adj
mitted among British officers that the
American squadron was the cleanest
and best kept Of the Grand Fleet, so
much so that it was set as Il standard
for excellence. The British Admiralty
appointed a commission to learn how
the high degree OF cleanliness and
efficiency was maintained, he said, and
the superiority of American mechanism
and "Yankec ingenuity" was found to
be responsible.
Speaking Of the number of men re-
quired to operate ships in peace times
Admiral Rodman said there should be
enough to man all the guns. make full
speed with three watches in the en-
CINE room and to provide for replace
.mcnt. No reduction in the personnel
should be made for the sake of
economy, which would result in this
country some day being Caught nap
Ping
dnution of tbc Rritieh ljcht crliSpr