Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-04
RODMAN ADVISES
DESTRUCTION Of
GERMAN VESSELS
American Admiral Says That
All Capital Ships of Captur-
ed Fleet Should Be Sunk as
They Are Useless,

10y NO ,NiEI 10 J7nA. sPrc LEAST 49,
Washington, Jan. 3.--Destruction
of all capital ships Of the German
navy, surrendered to the allies, was
recommended to the house naval &f-
fairs committee today Ivy Rear Ad-
mjral RodmGn, who commanded the
American fleet in the North Sea
during the war.
He said the German ships would
not be needed, that they were Of diff
ferent types than those of the allies
and that it would be Il waste Of
money to pay to maintain them.
During the war the combined
british and American fleets have had
such superiority over the German
fleet that it dared not fight us" Adj
miral Rodman said. IF that suprem-
acy could be maintained when the
German fleet was ineXistence, what
would be the object in adding their
ships to our force when he danger
Of their attacking us has been re-
moved?
Furthermore. by the time Germ
any can build new ships and again
become a competitor for the worlds
largest fleet these ships will have be-
come obsolete and would have to be
thrown away anyhow"
Keep smaller Vessels.
The admiral thought all the vessels
except the capital ships should he
kept. at would be foolish to sink
the submarines, destroYers and light
cruisers" he said, "as they VIII re
very useful for years to come"
When news came from Paris re-
emily that the American peace dele
Ii.
German craft, the statement was au-
thoriZod here that President Wilson
regarded the plan as wholly undesr-
able.
Asked how officers and enlisted
men of the American navy compa' ed
with those of the British navy, Ad-
miral Rodman said that in many re-
spects American personnel as we'll as
our ships, had shown points Of super
iOrity.
Before the war our ships were
equal to any in the world" he sail.
soon after we entered the war The
efficiency of our fleet was lowered
because of sending so many armed
crews to the merchant service. and
by the tremendous expansion. But
alter our cot had Ieen merged with
the British grand fleet and We hal
time TO get back or our old footing.
our fleet was equal to theirs in every
respect.
Now. after year Of war, there is
not a shadow of difference between
the two, and I 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 than that our offic-
ers are largely college men. The en-
listed personnel of our navy is much
more adaptable for the reason that
our men are taught from their earli-
est school days to be se(f-relinnt 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 status"
Admiral Rodman made it clear
however, that he did not want to ap-
bear to be drawing sharp contrasts
between the navies of the two cCun-
tries because the British navy has
proven that it is amply able to take
care of itself and has helped our
in manyways."
Asked by Representative Butler Of
Pennsylvania. if he believed the
friendly feeling between the two
RAVES was natural and lasting. AG-
,niral Rodman said he was positive Of
it.
From the time my fleet reported
in British waters the greatest consid-
GRAFTON was shown US he said. There
never has been the slightest feeling of
misunderstanding 1t was, as though
our fleet was a part of theirs, or
theirs q part of ours"