Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-03-25
navy IN CHAOTIC STATE
As WAR WAS DECLARED
Such j. Allegation of Captain Harris
Laning Before Senate
Investigators.
DANIELS BLIND no PERIL
Lack oil Coordination in Navy De-
partmcnt Reduced Effectiveness OF
American Participation and Added
to Cost OF War.
10 Negotiated Press

W SltlN''IoN, March 2f.-Not only
Vas the Navy Department, wi;hou. Il
comprehensive plan for naval purtic,-
patton in Il war when the United States
severed relations with Germany, but
secretary Daniels disapprovod The gen
GRAZ plan drawn up b. tho Buerau or
trcrat!ons ana submitted N March.
i"i7 Captain Harris Lanilr former
aS"'f'hnt chief OF navigation. today
ioii tho Scnatc Investigating Commit
~ the result Of this alleged lack Or
preparation. the witness. SAID, the Navy
i'"phFtir,nt virtually VAS IN Il state or
cha"s, the day the United states de-
''I'.rsona! ch.lrac;.rist.cs." OF Sncrc-
tdEy '"n!.!h oti.u made II Impossible
!" oblhin approval al IMPORTANT plans
ma policies. captain i..siIlit.s asserted,
80 IN. persona! interest tansn by Nan
u. minor ';iIairS occupied 80 mGcn time
thal he never HAD mulch l.!t TO .i..
"a or r"h.iy important PrVni.Ms."
CAPTAIN l.an!n. testified ,nat al TIL.
:.'ny war was ucc."r,d thcr" Was no,
sNi'iic.cni reserve OF li-iucu shells
70 i'h!l TIA" magazines of tnc dr-.,'.-
thoughts ana mat :Ac bureau Of ORD
i.'"cv nad 70 obtain tho aid y! the
!iircau OF Operations % ting The ma
'cr To 'hr SCc..tarN's attention i'm
!feSs.'.lt enough - get authority 20
I.t cOutrISth.
IN Il ms,uorandum Ada,ital Benson
%dN" Secretary Ddni..s She adinoUItion
h"i "1l1"I, si.t's o. t'e guns na;-
'A-:.l.IiS llN " D.tnatas. ana 'Iltt fICy
i'o' only canTo; de. cad themselves pu.
':,nno, '!snt 20 save the county" Attc,.
-"Ncrai "e.hs delay Captain l.;tn!n-s
aid ~. +h"..s We're ordered.
pthcr chtrse~ made by The witness
N'rc ,hIt ,h' department IN The ,ya.s
riu"diateiy preceding the war d.d nor
Noy'" hi.f1r' th'- nav ipr nos litic~.
mat ''h'n u wts apparent va: cou!i
,.t, .. aHo.d,a mo fasn'5,,m"n, syn
O!d'nat:o IN tnc department during
thc effectiveness OF American part ll;-
i'n,ion, aud added TO the cost ana INA,
when way ras declared Tho Navy DO
rar'rncr, told tho country inat tho
navy was ready when IA rcalIts :.
was kno"n that i would take al Icns,
90 days {" ?rcnaro "v.n The -atcst
hlga ior act'L" s.orvice.
1h,t th' Jack cf a general .nian 20
carry on IN" war II The hc=.nn!nt; cost
mug" sums % money WAS iuGiCa'cr.
Captain I.anirG said. by q converts
ion h.. had with Pas ma S'.r-'; cncr:ii Nj
';Ow-n Is" months after tho arrIliSticc
Va Euoi. ~ ina, time. 10 t"st'ri"n
rsmcmbcr ne plan YOU tried 10 pnl
through TT the out hrcaE al the var
Int provided for inndiinE Tho emery
'n"T fund and watch the secretary
,Tonldu't approve God, man, j: ne
hah onl ydone ~; The way ihinss
har@ son SON se hnh :h"; rharEns or
atoms. We expended tho cmcrEcnCr
fDud by about slS5.nnn. 1000"
later tpnEr fsS bt'tnTiHSt transfers.
tr"m other anrropriat.ons 20 make VI
"a" over expenditures. Captain l.anins
said
captain I-aning was c-oss-cxamincd
by senator Trar,rnoll. Florida. who
lad y letter written ~ Captain Lanlu-
80. Rear-Admirni SIMS on Angus, %,
% The department made by tho
i.nnins, ina, opera;ions has erred in
|asvsa,i6n> has 5rr re- a ~" IN ga u
Tying on Is mission uNior ;uc-l. Tn"
start. bu, il r-;id fnr tho biHwe ,ha:
- ne end must crush .hr curi;N. =
.l4yo wasted our strength - -,~ikr.
g''e.lN Wien tAn' was not .suhicIort
- w.u would hr'u foolish w wound
ave sacrificed al ana III III" end r1n'a
lave o",A "n!I' worse of 'Gau al 'to
sr, "p H.. misS bo - M: and l. % Ga
yourself questioned tn" adviyrbji.N ~
Nc"nira orr ha'''rsh:1s IN commission
n1d snrEeSt",d puit,.nE 'h"m ou' o send
mai would hhrc h"on djsnStro:s. for
, 20 H,o 2at'lesi 'Ps havc 'raiCeI OYER
which Nc would No, have now. MAD We
'errled "r' tho suggestion.
worh a,ainSt ,hc I--boats bu, We aid
not tninN their extinction could al"na
win ,hc, wa. :. "a"lv as July Inst
>"ar it became known on This side that
10 matter how much We curtailcd tho
T-boa's. tho war would Dc los, ii We
did not got troops 10 France. How
w"rc the ,roops, - 90; There unless
"Hasn't i, turned ou. tina. making
'our force 80 ana iiak tn" trans
mort and cruiser force go wero the al
Led salvation" Wc row operate over
,orty iroop trarsporis and several hun
bred cargo ;r"nsports.. We could not
have had either the officers men TO
m .o1 d ,nem Lad w stripped mis- side
.roors Of ours arc saving tho day. and
J believe = would ne unfair - rut
blame on 'hc department for putting
them across instead OF sending tho per
Sonrcl 20 chase submarines
over there you give us the devil
orcaISe ,He don't do all YOU want us
- do. You feel We are failing Won
pocs i holm The morale over there or
ov"r mere 10 do thnt?"
After reading the letter senator
Trnmme' asked Captain Laninr if lie
did not THINK the letter answered many
O. Admiral sims ch9rGcs aud some OF
the criticisms made by Cantain I.aning
himself in his d!rcc; statement rhc
"tiiccr rcpiicd ,hiat n" did not believe
so. that the letter referred To a pcriod
much later in tin" war than that COW