New-York tribune., 1920-03-08

1OE tIl0 average AuloIlC6IA x0oU0Is
Did Daniels Have q Plan?
To-day the Senate Naval CON-
mittee is TO begin It's investigation.
On the one side will be the naval
technicians, under the leadership Of
Admiral Sims, and on the other the
navy's political controllers, under
the leadership Of Secretary Daniels.
Our national safety may we'll depend
on the public's ability to Judge right
~ the issues that will be raised. TO
do this We must form a picture Of
the navy as q whole. What Is the
navy's job? And how is it prepared
to do its job?
The supreme duty Of the navy is
to be ready instantly to make It i'm
possible for any power or combina-
tion Of powers to impose its will on
the United States. Until the whole
world shall have abandoned injustice
and force our navy will remain tho
shield which will permit US to live
our national life as we see the right.
Given time, money and engineer
ing ability, navy yards, ships, ord
nance and supplies can be provided;
and given more time, money and de-
tailed experience, officers and crews
can be trained to operate each ship
we'll as a unit. But that doesn't
make a navy. A navy must be
organized to operate az a whole.
The excellent material and unequaled
personnel of our naval forces, with
out commensurate operating organi-
zation, would be like fine factory
filled with good machinery and oper-
atives but without management.
A navy must be directed as a
whole by competent management
that knows in advance what to do.
The "war games" Of the Naval War
College are one Of the first links in
the chain of management. They
are an essential part Of the "re-
search department" Of the navy. In
these games, played with miniature
ships and fleets on great map, the
navies Of the world are opposed to
our navy Our officers move the
"enemy" navies according to their
actual and theoretical knowledge Of
how these navies would act, and for
each enemy "war plan" developed
adequate counterplans are worked
out to provide a concentration Of
adequate forces at the right places
and on time.
After months Of consideration a
"war plan" Is developed which goes
to the chief Of naval operations, tho
officer responsible for tho operation
Of the navy as a whole. His duty Is
to pass upon the plan and, having
approved it, apply 1t to She actual
naval forces. If he isn't an able
naval strategist he will not be able
to understand what the "war plan"
aims to accomplish, and if he isn't
an able naval administrator he will
not be able to prepare the navy to
operate actually and instantaneously
as whole in accordance with it.
Let it be repeated. It is not enough
to have each ship ready as a unit.
Every unit must be ready to act in
stantly as part Of the whole.
| A few hours after war broke out
between Germany and Britain the
latter's fleets were at their war sta
tions or on their way to them.
Britain's naval "war plans" were
ready and her navy, as q whole, was
ready to act On them instantly.
WIN the coming naval investisa-
tion show that, after tho late war
had been raging for thirty-two
months, after we had severed rela-
tions with Germany for two months,
not only were all units of our navy
individually ready, but that they
were all prepared to act instantly
as parts Of tho whole7
Will the Secretary be able to show
not only that our "war plans" were
complete, but that every vessel was
in condition, was advantaReously
placed to act Instantly, and was on
its way to its station within Q few
hours after Congress declared war?
If not, the administration of our
navy cannot maintain that it was
reasonably competent.
No harm can now result huk re-
|vsaling The facts. Tho public & sn-