Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-03-25
NAVY WAS IN A
STATE Of CHAOS
DAY j. s. WENT
INTO STRUGGLE
Daniels Had No Comprehen-
Siye Plan for Participation
Of Fleet in War, Declares
Capt, Harris Laning,
RECON- M ENDATIONS OF
EXPERTS NOT Needed
Shortage of Shells for the
DreadnaughtS Existed and
Delays EnSued in Letting
Contracts for a Supply,

10y MoRn,sa JOURNAL eSsetAl tsAsEp wlRsi
Washington, March "a. -- Not
only was the navy department
without a comprehensive plan for
naval participation in war when
the United States severed relations
with Germany, but Secretary
Daniels disapprovel the general
plan drawn up by the bureau of
operations and submitted in March,
1917, Captain Harris Laning. form
er assistant chief of navigation, to-
day told the senate investigating
committee.
As the result of this lack of
preparation, the witness said, the
navy department virtually was in
a state of chaos the day the United
States entered the war.
Personal characteristics of
Secretary Daniels often made 1t
impossible to obtain approval of
important plans and policies, Cap
tain Laning asserted, as the per-
sonal interest taken by him in
minor affairs occupied SO much
time that he never had much left %
give us for really important prob
lens"
Captain Laning testified that at
the time war was declared, there
was not a sufficient reserve of
fourteen-inch shells to refill the
magazines of the dreadnaughts
and that the bureau of ordnance
had to obtain the aid of the bu-
reau of operations to bring the
matter to the secretarys attention
impressively enough to get author
ity to lets contracts.
In a memorandum Admiral Ben
son gave Secretary Daniels the adj
monition that without shells for
the guns battleships are worthless"
and that "they not only cannot de-
fend themselves but cannot fight to
save the country" After several
weeks delay, Captain Laning said
the shells were ordered. Other
charges made by the witness were
that the department in the years
Immediately preceding the war did
not advocate legislation and poll
cies that would prepare the navy
for hostilities, that when it was
apparent war could not pe avoided,
the department still refused to
prepare; that lack of coordination
In the department during the early
months of the war reduced the ef-
fectiveness of American partieipa-
tion and added to the cost and
that when war was declared the de-
Lartment told the country that the
navy was ready, when in reality
Il was known that it would take at
least an hundred days to prepare
even the. latest ships for active
service.
Senator Trammell, democrat,
Florida, read a letter written by
the captain to Rear Admiral Sims
in August, 1918, apparently in an
swer to a letter from the admiral
the department for no.
cooperating more fully with the
naval forces abroad.
The Laning letter opened with |
the statement that the writer was
mot convinced" that the bureau of
operations had "erred IN its gem
cral plans" and declared that a |
suggestion made by Admiral Sims
earlier that the battleships ihe
placed out of commission and their !
crews sent overseas would, if
adopted, have proved disastrous"
The letter contirueds
over there you give us the |
devil because we dent do all that |
you want us to do. You feel we |
arc falling you. Does it help the |
foorale over there or over here > |
do that? = Criticism is easy |
end just criticism is beneficial, but |
there is aothing mere lowering t. !
the morale than unjust criticism |
and criticism made without full |
nowledge and thought IS apt to be
unjust"
After reading the letter, Senator
Irammell asked Captain Laning If !
he did not think the letter an
swered many Of Admiral Sims
charges and some OF the criticisms
made by Captain Laning hims ELF |
in his direct statement.