Omaha daily bee., 1920-10-10
of.
Navy Crime
Man High Up in Rank Scores
Daniels for Dividing Fight
ing Ships Between At
lantic and Pacific.
Charges Political Move
By ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.
Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire.

BY ARTHUR SEARS HENNING.
Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire.
Washington, Oct. 81 consider
it a paramount duty to expose the
political misuse of the American
navy by Secretary Daniels" said q
high official OF the navy in criticising
the fact and strategy of dividing the
navy into Atlantic and Pacific units.
MANY of us firmly believe that
the navy was divided against the
advice of strategists and the general
board of the navy and the war col
lege, and separate unit stationed in
the Pacific solely for the purpose OF
aiding in carrying the Pacific states
in the coming election for the demo-
cratic party. The navy is disrupted,
divided and disgusted."
This officer, who reflects the views
of many Of his colleagues i'll the
navy, like many men in the govern
ment service, did not feel that he
could publish his identity in connec-
ton with his ideas on the subject of
fleet division at this time, when the
wisdom of the nations course in this
particular is being discussed because
of Japan's restlessness, brought
about by California's determination
to strengthen her guardianship OF
land against alien ownership. But
he was willing to express his opin-
ions, formed after years of practical
experience and study OF naval opera
ton and the strategy of war.
Says Division Crime"
"The division of the American
fleet was a naval crime" he corr
tinued. To-day both fleets are still
half-manned and unready for war.
Secretary Daniels has kept large
number of old ships in commission,
wasting men and money, simply to
make a big show. This is in strong
contrast to the English naval policy.
England put all old ships and many
powerful second line battleships out
of commission; in fact, scrapped
many of them. in order to economlze
and to use all her personnel on the
most modern and iorceful ships.
This is what we should have
done after the arm;stice. We should
have used all our available men TO
man one well-balanced fleet, strong
enough to meet the~Japanese fleet,
and this force should have been
ready for instant war all the time,
not some of the time, and this fleet
should have been in the Pacific.
Both Fleets Undermined.
"But, as it is, both our fleets are
undermined. We are about $4,000
men short. Skilled men have left
the service. and few have rc-enlisted.
The two fake fleets are trying to
make little cruises to keep up show
of activity, but they cannot and do
not dare to engage III any serious
mantuvers.
Both of our fleets are now abso-
lutelv unready for war. Some of
our newest destroyers are laid up
alongside the docks, both i'll the At
lantic and the Pacific, for lack of
rlen. There is only one flotilla of
about so destroyers in a condition
called Operative in the Atlantic, and
even these are not ready for war.
Truly, the navy is in a perilous con-
Gition. Fortunately, no nation, ex-
cept possibly Japan, can or would go
to war with the United States, and
so. just now, We are comparatively
safe in Our helplessness.
But the great navy of our nation
should not be left to the mercy OF
personal or political caprice A navy
exists for more dignified and vitality
important duty. Can we imagine
that the people of any other first
class power would justify a policy
which invited national disaster by
such violation of naval strategy as
the division of Our fleet constitutes ~