Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-03-24
TRIED TO BOSS
EVERY DETAIL
Important Matters wsrs Long De.
iayed or Not Considered at All,
Says Assistant Chief Of Bureau Of
Naval Operations During war-De.
partment Without Polioy-paniels
Finally Ignored by His Aldss.
BY Associated Press.

CnaOS eXSteQ IN tne navy ucPdfthioh'
wf,en the United States entered the
war. Capt. Harris Lannins. assistant
chief OF the bureau Of navigation dur
Ing the war. testified today before the
senate investigating committee.
Captain Lanning said no one knew
what TO do after n plan Of action
submitted by the bureau of. opera
tons had been dispproved and that
the personal characteristics OF the
secretary OF the navy often made 1t
impossible to get approval Of really
important policies.
Whenever plan or policy was
presented to the secretary he almost
invariably DELAYED action on IT,"
Captain I.anning declared. The per-
sonal interest he took in all matter
connected with the department alb
sorbed so much OF his time that he
never had much left to give to moro
important affairs.
Could Get No Action.
When important policies and plans
were submitted to the secretary,
Captain Lanning said. directions
would be given to leave the papers
for consideration and usually these
instructions meant that the matter
would not be ,heard from again until
the officer interested looked up the
papers, and then frequently the pap
ers could not be found.
Finally conditions became 80 bad"
the witness eaid, that officers used
every means to put plans thru with
out obtaining the required authority.
was and still am amazed that the
navy could accomplish the remark
able work it did. hnt Il is certain
that what 1t did accomplish woiiid
have been done more quickly and ef-
ficiently If we had plan from the
start"
CAPTAIN Lanning said many Of
f1cers found this condition to he true
and he offered to furnish the COM
mittee names of other officers who,
he said, would corroborate his testi-
mony in this respect.
NouIu NOT Iot smells.
Captain Lanning said that just
prior to 1917 the department gave
out 'such glowing accounts of the
navy and its splendid condition and
efficiency that few, II any. outside
the navy realized the true condi- :
tion.
The witness said he did not criti-
else the departments policy as to
building programs. as 1t always adj
vocated increasing numbers of ships
but whether the numbers and types
were correct was a matter of per-
sonal opinion.
Secretary Daniels. he said, based
his Idea OF the navys fitness on the
number of ships only. M.
Captain Lanning said that while
IN the spring of 1917 only about half
the navys ships had even peace
time crews and that naval officers
generally conceded that the greatest
need OF the service was mon. the
department went on record again at
any increase in personnel. AS for
material conditions in the fleet when
we entered the war" the captain
added. 1T was found that II would
take over 100 days to get all battle
ships OF even the active fleet mate
rally ready for war"
Ships Out Of Condition.
The dreadnaughts, he said wArs
not sent to the yards for repairs un-
I'll several months after the declara-
ton Of war. ~ =
Before the entry Of tho United
States into the war efforts were be-
ing made by the bureau Of ordnance
to obtain Secretary Daniels approv-
al for contracts for new l4-inch
shells for the dreadnaughts. Captain
Lanning said. After the war vas
declared these efforts were acceier-
ated. and on April II. in letter pre-
pared for transmittal by Admiral
Benson, then chief OF operations. Il
was pointed out that should the six
dreadnaushts having 14-,nch runs
expend their supply Of shells in bat :
tie there would not be enough to re-
nll their magazines and none for
three more dreadnaughts nearing
completion.
without shells for guns. ships ar
worthless" the captain said. They
are not only worthless but can not
hght to save the country
Ten days later, tho captain said,
this letter was handed back 20 him
to "see II there was any change In
the situation" No contracts had
then been, placed. he said.
CONDEMN POOR FAeRlca,