New-York tribune., 1921-03-14
Combined Naval Force To
Be Harding's Policy, as
Experts Hold Daniels's
Idea of Division Wrong
Error Was Proved
Bv Russian Defeat
Closing of Panama Canal
by Bombs Possible in
the Event of Hostilities
BY Carter Field

w WASHlNGION, March l3.--Or-
ders concentrating practically the
entire naval feet in the Pacific Will
be sent out within a few weeks, it
was learned tonight from very
high authority. This is being done.
1t was declared, not as a military
gesture, but merely as a return to
sound naval strategy.
Division of a nations fleet. it was
pointed out, has been declared by
every important naval authority for
a generation to be the height Of
folly, and the present situation Of
the United States fleet has been Civ
ing grave concern to high naval off,
GERS ever since the division was or
dered by former Secretary of the
Navy Daniels.
The feet has been divided since
last spring, just before the San
Francisco convention. Curiously
enough, according to high naval au-
thorities, had the logical thing been
done at that tilne-the concentration
of the fleet in the Pacific-any
political purposes whic,1 may have
been served by sending part of the
fleet to San Francisco waters would
have been much better served, since
the Pacific Coast voters would
naturally have been even more
pleased at seeing all of the fleet
transferred to their waters than a
portion of it.
Canal Target for Bombs
Those who have defended Nj.
Daniels's policy of dividing the feet,
keeping part of it in the Pacific and
part in the Atlantic, have contended
that it would be matter Of only
few days to unite the feet should
eny threatening situation arise. But
it is almost universally conceded in
both army and navy circles that in
the event Of any sudden trouble it
would be very simple matter for
an enemy of the government to
bomb the Panama. Canal into use
lessness, whereupor the two parts
Of the feet would find themselves
2,00o miles apart. They would face
the same strain IN uniting that the
famous old Oregon encountered in
sailing around Cape Horn. to join
Sampson's fleet n 1898.
That the question involved not
mere matter of operations, as indicated
by some of Mr.. Daniels's defenders. is
best shown by what happened to the
Russian fleets in the Russo-Japanese
War. Naval experts agree that had the
Russian feet been kept together it
would have swept the Japanese fleet
from the seas and the whole course of
history might have been changed. AS
it was the japanese fleet. kept to-
gether, met the Russian feet bit by bit,
destroying each bit in turn, save in~the
case Of one bit which was blockaded.
Most naval experts believe that Rus
sia would have won that war had this
old axiom of naval strategy Of keeping
the feet united not been ignored.
Diplomats keenly Int rested
No official explanation of why the
feet is to be united in the Pacific in
stead of IN the Atlantic has been vouch-
safed, but there is keen interest in the
situation among those diplomats who
have heard the news. Always attribut-
lng some grave diplomatic reason to
everything that is done, naturally
enough since that is their trade. they
speak OF 1t in terms OF zap, the little
cable Transmission point which Japan
IS holding SO tenaciously despite Ameri-
can protests for an equal share in the
selzed German cables; in terms Of the
Cailfornia land controversy which was
handed over to the Harding Hughes ad-
ministration by the Wilson Colby diplo-
macy; in terms of Saghalien Island,
vigorous protests against the occupa-
tlon OF which We're made by the Amer
lcan State Department last summer
bnt' which have been unheeded by Js-
pan; IN terms of the Philippines, and
IN terms of disarmament.
On the last, the theory Of President
Harding that to force other nations to
join IN agreeing to approximate dis
armament" the best plan is to demon
strate American Willingness to go the
limit if no disarmament plan is agreed
to. becomes OF interest. II is we'll
known that Great Britain is eager for
a naval holiday. Japan, in the opinion
of observers here, has been the stun
bling block. Concentration of the Amer
lean feet in the Pacific il is suggested
by some diplomats, might have q per-
ceptible effect in inducing Japan 20 be-
come more agreeable to naval holiday.
Other Explanations Suggested
At the Navy Department. however,
there are reasons aplenty assigned for
the decision, even in addition to the old
principle OF naval strategy of keeping
the feet concentrated, which. Incl
dentally, was observed by the Britis,,
Admiralty during the war. rendering
the German navy absolutely helpless