Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1920-03-25
DANIELS AID SAYS.
NAVY WAS IN CHAOS.
WHEN WAR STARTED
CRiTICISES ACTS or SECRETARY
WHILE ATTACKING HIS per.
SONAI CHARACTERISTIC S.
FILL DREhDNAUGHT MACA,
ZINES.

Washington, March -, Not only
was the navy department without
comprehensive plan for naval partici,
patton in a war when the United
States severed relations with Ger
many, but Secretary Daniels disap.
proved the general plan drawn up by
the bureau Of operations and sGamt
ted in March, 1917 Capt. Harris Ian
ing, formerly assistant CHIEF OF nav
igalion. today told the senate inyesti-
gating committee.
As result the witness said, the
navy department virtually was in a
state of chaos the day the United
States declared war:
personal characteristics" of Sec
Rotary Daniels often made it impos
sibe to obtain approval of important
plans and policies, Capt Laning as
serted, as the personal interest taken
by him in minor affairs occupied
so much time that he never had much
left to give us for really important
problems.'
Capt. Laning testified that at the
time war was declared there was not
sufficient reserve of li-inCh shells
10 refill the magazines Of the dread.
naughtS and that the bureau Of ord
nance had to obtain the aid of the
bureau Of operations to bring the
matter 10 the secretary attention
impresslvely enough To get author
ity to let contracts.
Shells Are Ordered.
In a memorandum Admiral Benson
gave Secretary Daniels the admoni
ton that without shells Tor the guns
battleships are worthless" and thai
they not only cannot defend them
selves but cannot fight to save the
country After several weeks delay
Capt. Lanlng said, the shells were
ordered
Other charges made by the witness
were that the department in the years
immediately preceding he war did MOI
advocate legislation and policies that
would prepare the navy for hoStilitic3
that when it was apparent war could
not be avoided the department still
refused to prepare, that lack Of co-or
dination in the department during the
early months of the war reduced the
effectiveness of American participa-
ton and added to the cost and that
when war was declared the navy de
partmcnt told the country that the
navy was ready when in reality il
was know that it would take at least
100 days to prepare even the latest
ships for active service
Once Reprovcd Sims.
Senator TrammelI. democrat, Flor
ida. read letter written By the cap
tain to Rear Admiral Sims in August,
1915 apparently in answer to a let
ter from the admiral cri'icising the
department for not 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 oper-
ations had erred in its general plans
and declared that a suggestion made
by Admiral Sims earlier that the bat
tleshps be placed out Of commission
and their crews sent overseas, would
if adopted, have proved "disastrous.'
The letter continued:
over there YOU give Us the devil
because we don't do ali that you want
us to do You feel We are failing
you, Does it help the morale over
there OF over here to do that2......
Criticism is easy and just criticism
beneficial, but there is nothing more
lowering to the morale than unjust
criticisms, and criticism made without
full knowledge and thought is apt
to be unjust