The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-05-05
and thereby greatly increase the gt eral efficiency.

NAVY NOT "DIVIDED"
 It is mistake to speak of the navy as being divided" into two fleets, in
 the sense that the two fleets are wide ly separated and therefore, do not support each other. The more correct expression is to say that the navy Is organized in two great fleets, each composed of the same number of di-
 visions of the various types of ships
 which go to make up that tactical or ganization called 8 fleet.
 This is true because the Panama
 canal permits the two fleets, at all times, to be in close touch with each
 other. Either fleet could be sent from
 the main strategical positions on one coast to those positions on the other coast, within comparatively few days,
 and as this period is less than that In
 which any enemy of any important l strength could attack either one of l our seacoasts, it is evident that in no
 way does the two-fleet organization | plan weaken the protection of either | of our coasts. As matter of fact, this | plan of organization greatly increases | the protection of each coast, and in
 that way the protection of our nation
 as whole.
 The protection of either one of our long seacoasts not only depends upon
 the ships themselves, but 1t also very
 materially depends upon the estab- | lishment size and location of naval | bases and navy y.>rds. which must ex- | ist for the maintenance of the fleet in | war as well as in peace, and it is | evident that such bases will only be
 properly developed when they are
 used by large force of ships during l times of peace.
 MAHAN PRINCIPLE
 NOT VIOLATION
 l There can be no question that as a
 general principle the policy senunciated | by Mahan is sound, viz: That the
 division of a naval force weakens the l strength of the entire force. as 1t | enables an enemy to attack one of the | parts of the force so divided, The re- suit of the division of the English navy in the revolutionary war, and of l the Russian navy in the Russo -Japa- nese war illustrate this principle is | only violated when a force is divided and so widely separated that the two l or more parts of the force can not support each other. For instance. the
 two Russian fleets, one in the Baltic | sea and the other in the China sea, during the Russo Japanese war. were so widely separated that they could l not support each other, or one go to
 the assistance of the, other, before 1 the enemy could attack. i l In the new organization of the
 American navy, as pointed out above, these two fleets, the Atlantic and the
 Pacific, are not so widely separated | as to be unable to support each other. They are, in fact. so situated at all | times that one can come to the im-
 mediate assistance of the other in case l of any impending danger of an att tack from any enemy's naval force. It therefore is clear that strategical- ly the new organization does not off, fend against the principle enunciated
 by Mahan. who foresaw that the
 Pacific would be the center of naval concentration.
 CAN COMBINE EASILY The other question of naval activi-
 ties is whether the two fleet organiza- tions would materially interfere with the tactics of the combined fleet should the two fleets be brought to- gether to operate as one force. In both the Atlantic apd the Pacific fleets we have an equal number of | division units of the ships of the diff | ferent classes, so that should the two | fleets come together, either in the Atlantic or the Pacific ocean, both of 1 them can combine immediately into l one tactical fleet. making . homogen- | eous whole without the slightest dif- :. ficulty. Instead of two or three di- l visions there would be some twenty odd divisions. Instead of four divisions l of battleships, there would be eight divisions. This combination of two 1 fleets into one has been entirely fore
 seen and will be carried out in exer- cises with the two fleets combined into one.
 The divisions of the two fleets bear | onrtoto enrioI nurnba So thot pubon l they come together each division has l It's assigned place in the battle forma- 1 ton. Orders have been given definite | ly designating which one or the fleet I commanders would be in. supreme com
 mand of the different units of each
 fleet. and they know in advance of
 juncture exactly what the position of
 their divisions of ships would be in
 the battle formation of the combined l fleet.
 NEED COMPETITION I I learned after several years of serv-
 ice as Secretary of the Navy that n
 supreme need Is competition. Without 1 competition ships and fleets go stale
 In periods of long peace.
 Place two admirals--the biggest and l most ambitious men sn the navy--in command of the Pacific and Atlantic fleets. Tell them that once in every
 year they will come together for a 1 fight stimulating war. and you will put all the men in both fleets on their
 toes to win. Ths struggle for first place will grow to be the great na.
 tion contest far outdistancing the in- terest In the annual football games between the army and the navy.
 By this keen competition, and in no other way. will you make the Ameri- can navy Tt to fight at any time and l. n if in, ha lis.l (Another article by former secre- tary Daniels VIII hx nrtnted tonaor