New Britain herald., 1920-03-27
THE NAVY INVESTIG ATION.

Congressional board of, inquiry into 1 the conduct of the Navy during the war there have been occasions brought to light in which the ob- server. with the slightest idea of the conduct of the Navy, is prone to believe that the gentlemen of high rank are making statements that have been passed on to them by some inferior and perhaps one with little judgment.
 At one time Admiral Sims re- marked that Germany was acquaint- ed with the United States system of codes, that 1t was an antiquated system at best W-hereupon it occurs to one to question the .Admirars Knowledge of the codes used during the war, particularly it occurs to.onc who has worked long hours over tho system. It lis pretty safe bet that the Admiral could not work out a for years. Of course he is possessed of the ordinary amount of intelli- gence and could apply instructions on the work, but he could gnot work one out With no preliminary guid- ance. It is easy to criticize the sys- tenn and it's very nature prohibits it's defense before the people of the United States should it's secrets be explained, one of the most perfect systems known would become obvious to all Duty requires that there be no counter to his thrust on the codes. And we venture that the Admiral is repeating the words of some irresponsible junior officcr when he remarks that Germany had our system. or is marking back in m emory to tho time he put in prac- ticc on a code board himself / IAd mi"als do not decode messa ges. Naturally the ''reculars'' of the NaNt 2"o trying at present to pass the buck for any state of unprc- paredncSs that we have been in at the outbreak of the war to Secretary dcrs if the regulars. who were cN- trcmely jealous Of their position in the world and extremely swelIed up with their own importance and con vinced of the unirlportance of those who applied for jobs arc not great deal to blame. Certain it is that 1 every recruit was consistently dis couraged by local recruiting officers,/ certain it is that every reserve off, cer who went into the service, l.ln outfit, met with every handicap that a vain and pompous detail Of officers could impose. No help Vas given to the reservist, and it is a testimonial he made good with t',e handicap that he often had, officer and man. A clique of Navy regulars; tried to safe sAard their own positions rather than gain help for the Navy-and Secretary Daniels was not to blame for that Rear Admiral Plunkett has testi- ie( that the Germans, by superior 1 turned the British on 1 their heads during the Battle of l Jutland, although it is bard to sec where this had any effect on the T.. ] S. Navy lack of manpower. The | tcStifler is right, but not fully so. As 1 a matter of fact. in the Battle of 1 utland, the Germans did outshoot 1 the British but only in the first few i salNos. Thereafter they were off in l their fire. Mechanics. and nothing l else is the reason for this. The Ger 1 mans had the better range finders l knd the better fire control systems. /! kese machines were implicitly | ted, the men were not drilled to l
 mechanical work by their own l
 N, the delicate adjustments of 1
 finders and fire control |
 E thrown off by the shock !
 kS;tlvos of the Germans 1
 \reupon they were ut
 British were trained 1
 ing and fire con-
 Ee, although there l
 finders. and bearing |
 suit was that they
 llNO or two. after
 |ments and the |,
 eputed to be the
 erican system of l
 proved so eff ::
 cstion whether
 favy did in
 control work