El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-08-14
DANIEL. S HAS AN EYE TO THE FUTURE
AND A FLEET IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN

DESPITE all that used to be said about him, Josephus
u Daniels can past the end Of his nose So the be
gnnngs an adequate fleet have been placed IN the
Pacific
M Daniels is to the American navy what Winston
Churchill was to British navy when he first lord
Of the admiralty That was Just 5eIoIe ana IoI TINE
subsequent to the outbreak of the When the war
rumble became audible the continent long before there
talk Of Britain being draw IN the British grand
fleet was assembled Hor maneuvers It quite gala
event that assembly Of the fleet in 1914 Crowds Of
nobility and commoners watched the stately dreadnoughts
and superdreadnoughs battle cruisers and secondary
cruisers and destroye torpedo boats, submarines and
dispatch boats they rode at anchor went through
their formations It grand spectacle, social as
well a military event-and when war broke out the
British navy al assembled there ready battle
Churchill had the jump o the German fleet and the
shores OF the bsh Isles and OF france were made saIe
against general attack The British fleet had the upper
hold and retained it until the end Of the
Similarly when the United States went into the war;
unable any longer tolerate Germanys acts of
aggression found the American navy the only
Of fighting service that in state Of pre-
paredness. There men, guns ships and ammunition
state of readiness for any emergency and the eped
tion with which squadrons of the American navy were
sent the Atlantic to reinforce the allied navies in
sea war received highly favorable comment IN all allied
associated countries Mr.. Daniels who had been the
butt Of many Joke because Of what had appeared his
uufitness 10 administer the department thereuDOn
gained great deal of respect Perhaps he credited
with Of part in eectng the navys preparedness
than he actually deserved Perhaps is true, has been
stated that he merely turned the active conduct Of the
navy naval officers who knew their business If
50, he showed all the more wisdom in so doing.
However that be, he Is again deserving OF credit
for foresight in estimating possibilities the Pacific
else he following the good advice Of navy officers. The
benefit to the country is the same either way.
The Pacific coast has been unguarded heretofore. The
warships have had along it have been joke to any
country with second class navy Only the antique battle
ships out of date cruisers and fairly good small craft
have constituted Pacific fleet Our Asatic fleet
an interesting collection Of relics spenddy differed and
manned, but utterly unable to win fight against good
opposition.
There has been time in recent years when the
Japanese navy could not have prepared landing
Pacific coast after having Overpowered the opposition
Pacific fleet could have given The completion Of the
Panama canal the point where warshps could pass
through has been only recent When Admiral Bob Evans
the Atlantic fleet to the Pacific he went around the
HON Had It been a movement, a enemy would
have been American soil unless pressure from the land
forces Unexpectedly great before any help could
from the Atlantic
Even with the canal use time assemble ships
the eastern seaboaTd and them through the
would be Tequred-and by that time enemy fleet IN
the Pacific would be making things very interesting indeed
around the Philippines Hawaii and Guam.
The maintenance Of big fleet in the Pacific is fund.-
mental to any real preparedness The United States does
want another var but must be prepared maintain
peace by discouraging The armada that has now
taken up the patrol Of the Pacific IS good beginning
laIged And must have adequate arsensl docking and
repairing facilities, which VIII great expansion of
the navy spyards the west coast The land deenoes
know little about We know there land defences
but visitors do not much Of them Unless they have
been improved during the with Germany they not
up to date that supposton is correct they should be
improved