The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-03
c. OPTIC LET
AMERICAN NAVY
WRECK ON ROCKS
Would Save 100000
and Let Big Fleet Go to
Pieces IN Face of Warning
of Naval Experts.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 3. (Sbl.)-Ac-
cording to the present plans of Repub-
hcan leaders IN congress, the second
navy Of the world is to be allowed ito
go on the rocks" They have apparently
decided 1t would be better to save some
$4,000 900 needed this year for the pay
OF skilled artisans to keep the navy
afloat rather than safeguard the hun
areos OF millions Of dollars invested in
the navy. The decision of the forces
IN control OF congress has been reached
IN the race OF written warnings Of such
naval experts as Admirals Griffin and
Taylor, the urgent request of the sec
rotary of the navy and the fact that
tney themselves are now trying to build
straw man out Of their Investigations
OF the state of preparedness Of the navy
several years ago,
Last summer the secretary of the navy
found 1t necessary to ask of the house
various deficiency appropriations needed
to carry the navy through the year. In
these were included items for the pay
OF skilled mechanics in the yards over
the country whose services were imper-
alive to keep even the first line ships
repaired and afloat. At that time the
house received a favirable report from
the committee on naval affairs and
voted the sums necessary for this work.
Then the bill went to the senate, where
that body saw fit to lop off these sums
requested, and the deficiency bill was
passed without them.
Secretary Makes Appeal.
As the need grew more imperative the
secretary found it necessary to write
the following urgent letter to Speaker
Of the House Gillett:
THE serious situation with reference
to the military efficiency of the navy
impels me to write earnestly inviting at
tenuon OF congress to the necessity Of
the deficiency appropriation of $10,314,-
962lS, requested by me in my letter to
you on the 18th day of December, 1919,
and which passed the house last sum-
mer, but failed of passage in the sem
ate. The conditions are much more Sc
rtous now than they were when present.
ed at that time and are set forth fully
in the accompanying letters from the
chiefs of the bureau of operations, con-
struction, and repair, steam engineering
and yards and docks. 1t will be seen
from these letters that unless an appro-
priation is available, there will be
serious loss of the military efficiency of
the navy. These officers whose letters
l am inclosing are charged with the re-
sponsibility of keeping the fleet in read
mess for any emergency that may oc-
cur, and their letters show the necessity
for this appropriation. l need not say
TO you that the necessity of dischargng
1900 skilled artisans, whose services to
, the navy in the war was one of grave
concern and without this appropriation
1t will be my painful duty to discharge
these men because there will no funds
to pay them. l am sure the congress,
when they read these letters from the
naval officers who have given this mat
ter great study, will agree with me that
this is a matter Of immediate impor-
lance and prompt action will be taken"
Hold Up Report.
In spite of this appeal setting forth
the emergency the appropriations COM
mittee of the house has SO far seen fit
to report out deficiency bill without
including the provisions asked for in
this letter. There is no evidence that
the Republican leaders in the house will
override the recommendations Of the
committee, and it looks as though the
navy will be allowed to deterlorate.
Some idea of the urgency Of the APP
preparations requested is CLEANED from
the letters of the bureau chiefs trans
mitted to congress by Secretary Daniels
The chief of naval operations said in
part:
THE present unsettled conditions
throughout the world demand that the
ships of the navy be kept in efficient
condition for action. The number of
ships now capable of operating effect
lively in case of emergency is dangerous
ly small This condition is a direct re-
suit of lack Of funds with which to
prosecute vigorously the required repair
work on vessels whose material fitness
has been lowered through the excessive
and continuous demands of war service. |
Admiral Griffin, for years an accepted |
authority on maintenance and repair |
and in charge of the bureau of steam |
engineering, sent to congress, through |
the secretary, a detailed statement of |
overhaul condition of the fleet, for |
which these funds are needed. He has |
this to say of the condition of the bat |
tleships alone
LAS result of the reduced appropria- |
with repairs as eXpeditiously as 1t was |
desired, and thus far only five battle |
hips have been overhauled and returned |
to service, some without the complete |
accomplishment Of some important fire |
control work, the necessity for which |
has been demonstrated from experience |
gained during the war.
"Of the remaining battleships in full |
commission, IA are now at navy yards, |
some under repair and others awaiting |
their turn to be taken up when funds |
are available"
Here is the condition on dreadnoughts |
as set forth by Admiral Taylor, chief of |
the bureau of construction and repair: |,
"Of the Is dreadnoughts actually In SER |
vice, the overhaul on two has been COM |
pleted, the overhaul on two can be |
completed and one about half completed |
from the funds now available, the over
haul of four has been well advanced and |
could have been completed from the !
funds available had it not been found |
necessary to withdraw them from the |
navy yards before all work had been ac-
complished, and no work can be done |
on the remaining six. With additional /
funds, work can proceed on all these |
vessels that can be made available"
Like all exposed structures, the ships |
of the navy must either be kept In trim
or allowed to rot and rust. After Is |
months in the war zone and engaged in
troop transport and convoy, when there
was little opportunity for repair, funds
can not now apparently, be made avail
abel to restore their complete efficiency.