Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-04-09
NAVY WAS READY,
ASSERTS FLETCHER
sims's Charges on Unprepared-
ness Of v. s. Denied by Ad-
miral in Senate Inquiry
PAY INCREASE is URGED
By the Associated Press

Washington, April 0.--Two years be-
fore the United States Joined the Allies
in the world war the navy general board
prepared comprehensive plan for war
against n central power" Of Europte.
Rear Admiral F. +. Fletcher today told
the Senate investigating committee, it
was replying to Rear Admiral sims s
charge that when the United states en-.
tered the war the Navy department
had no "well considered plans or pol
icies for fighting Germany.
Many such plans had been made In
the past, Admiral Fletcher said, but
khe plan referred to covered every
Shase of naval operations under the as
snmed conditions of war" 1t dealt with
the mobilization. organization and com :.
postion' of the fleet. its disposition and
employment. protection of the coasts,
bases of supplies on the United States
coast and in the West Indies. routes
across the Atlantic and the enemy's
forces and probabl le courses Of action,
he said, and comprised nearly 800 type
written pages!
sims's Charges Answered
Explaining that he wished to COM
mcnt on certain specific charges, the
witness first took up Sims's criticism
that the navy was not prepared for
war in April. 1917. No navy ever was
or ever will be fully prepared for war
IN the eyes Of every one. the admiral
declared. but the American navy. when
Il entered the war, was "just as we'll
prepared as any other navy in the
world when the great war burst forth, y
Nc asserted.
No loss of shipping or failure Of the
navy to transport troops to France pro-
onged the war for single day, the
admiral asserted. Admiral Sims's as :
'rrtion that "the Navy Department Is
csponsiblc for the loss of $500, 900 tons
4 shipping. the pro'ongation Of the war
for four months. S15 .OOO, 900 900 of debt
and the loss Of 500 900 lives" was based
upon assumption and had no foundation
! in fact. the officer declared.
"Thc whole conclusion reached in the
accusation is built upon the flimsy
foundation of hypothetical condition
and IS wholly without value" he said.
Higher Pay Necessary
| Congress must increase the pay oi
both officers and men il the navy is IA
be saved from DISASTER Read Ad
miral Washington told the committee
| Failure of Congress to act, he said
has resulted in wholesale desertions OF
enlisted men and the resignation OF
hundreds of officers.
Foreign countries have increased the
pay in their navies, he said, adding:
81 understand the increases abroad
are being paid largely with money Dor
rowed from the United States"
The committee was told that thu
navy had been going down hill'' rap
idly since July 1919. and that the de
scrtions in the last half Of 1910 totalet
1866 men. including 1000 petty officers
who had served more than one term o
enlistment. In January the desertion'
numbered sos and in February 765.
The officer situation also is "ver!
bad the admiral said. Thousands o
officers have resigned since the armistic,
and the designations of 1850 have beer
accepted.
The navy medical corps is in tn
worst condition in the history OF tn
navy, the admiral declared.