Evening star., 1921-02-27
DENNY ANNOUNCES
HE WILL KEEP NAVY
READY FOR BATTLE
new Secretary Pledges Self
to Harding Policy to Keep
Machine at Peak.
PRESIDENT-ELECT READY
TO RETURN TO HIS HOME
Leaves Tonight for Marion for Last
Visit Before Inauguration
Ceremony Here Friday.
By the Associated Press.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. February 26
Edwin Denby.- gunner's mate il
Simpsons fleet and sergeant of ma
rines in the world war. formally ac
cepted the portfolio of Navy in the
next cabinet today with a pledge t
maintain the naval fighting machine
"at the highest peak of power ready
for battle at any notice.
AS his assistant he will have Theo.
dore Roosevelt. son of the former
President, and he will begin his ad.
ministration under a policy that call:
for adherence to the present nava
building program until such time a.
the nations may be brought into q
definite agreement for the reduction
of ornaments.
Continuation of the capital construc-
tion program for the present was an
nounced formally as an administration
policy by President-elect Harding a,
the same time that he made known
definitely the final designation of Mr.
DENLY as Secretary of the Navy and
of Mr.. Roosevelt as assistant secre-
tary. He already has communicated
his wishes to leaders in Congress.
Harding Ready to Leave.
His conference with Mr.. DENLY ended
Mr.. Harding's work here, and he will
leave tomorrow night for Marion.
where his neighbors will give him a
farewell celebration On Tuesday. He
expects to reach Washington Thurs
day. the day before inauguration.
The definite confirmation of Mr..
Denby's selection. which has been
known unofficially here for several
days, followed q long conference in
which he laid before the President
elect his opinion Of what the next
administration should do with its
Navy and Marine Corps. Afterward
he would not discuss detailed policies.
saying frankly that he felt he had
much to learn about the greater cogs
N the national machine of sea defense.
but that he approached his RESPONSE
bilities confidently, with trained
soldiers devotion to duty.
Although he came into the cabinet
lineup at the last minute as a dark
horse selection. Mr.. DENLY brings to
the secretaryship an unusual back
ground of naval experience. Besides
having been an enlisted man in war
time In both the Navy and Marine
Corps, he has served as a member Of
the House naval committee. has
gained. through close contact. a
knowledge Of conditions beyond the
insular possessions in the Pacific,
where more than once the Washing
ton government has cast question
ing eye.
Wants to BE Adviser.
A lawyer by profession. he now
holds the title of probation officer of
the criminal court in Detroit. Mich
as . complete surprise to him. but he
emerged into the limelight of national
affairs smiling genially and comport-
ing himself as confidently as though
he had been a cabinet member all Of
his life.
In declining to speak Of specific
naval policies Mr.. DENLY reminded his
Questioners in a matter-of- fact way
that he never had been in close con-
tact with the larger policies of the
department, and SO might find himself
= stranger to some of the important
questions Of policy. But he added
that an absence of preconceiyed opn-
ions might not be entirely a detri-
ment.
Il may say in general terms" he
continued, that my conception Of the
duty of Secretary is to act as an
advisor to the President. the cabinet
and Congress, and. more important
still. to maintain whatever Navy Con-
gress gives US at the highest peak
of power. ready for battle at any
notice"
Backs Anti.Wine Ruling.
In response to questions about the
naval policies of the present admin
iStration Mr.. DENLY only smiled
and shook his head. He did take oc-
casion. however. to declare his un-
qualified approval Of the anti-wine
ruling of Secretary Daniels. adding
that he believed most of the officers
of the Navy now recognized the wis
dom of the famous order.
For Mr.. Daniels personally he ex-
pressed highest regard, and one Of
his first acts as Secretary designate
was to send telegram to the present
Navy Department head, thanking him
for past courtesies. Passing up an
invitation to dictate the message to
one of the stenographers at Mr.
Hardings headquarters. he went to a
telegraph stand in the hotel lobby
below and scribbled out the follow
ing in lead pencil:
Have read with great pleasure
your kind references to me in the
press. Please accept my cordial
thanks shall see you in Washington
within a day or two. hope"
The meeting will not be the first be
tween the retiring Secretary and his
successor. During the world war
when Mr.. DENLY was serving, at the
age of forty-ei ght, as a marine SER
geant. he broke a strict regulation and
went direct to Mr.. Daniels in an ef-
fort to smooth out some of the trou-
bles of the men serving with him.