Evening star., 1921-04-24
ny John MARTIN.

~ECRErARY OF THE NAVY Ed
~ WIN DENEY is a peace loving
man who wants a fighting navy
the "fshtinEcst" and 'httenest
navy IN the world.
H.. wants big navy with a big
morale. and. from present indications,
he Is going to get both.
Congress will say how big our Navy
is to be. but DENLY will say what it's
morale is TO be. during the next four
:ycnr- at Least On this point he has
saokeri an impre ssivr prologue.
/. In selecting two captains TO be
burcan chiefs. thereby esta blishing
tie principle OF giving promotions to
thosz. who are in Line for them. and
, in issuing an order permitting Of
fcers to wear civilian clothes when
nor on duty, Mr. Denby has shown
a knowledge OF human nature. which
he may be expected TO employ ef1ec-
lively in developing the esprit de
corps az The Navy.
thus far and his uniform order un-
qugstionably have made a big hit with
shA rank and f.c OF the service. They
have shown the intense human side
of him. Thes. decisions were made
it.causk they fitted in with Mr.. Den
| Eavy's needs-and because the Of
fctrs practically to man wanted
them. >
!; Il love 1.-The Navy" was tn. Secre-
,rary's first public utterance after
taxing Office. And it is not stretch
inf facts to say that the Navy. after
nearly tNo months experience with
his efforts to make the service more
tattra ct!vo to the officers and men is
beEinnfnE to fall III love with Mr..
/ D6nby.
Most Americans had never heard of
Mf.- DENLY when he was given the
| Navy portfolio. He was the dark
horse" OF Mr.. Harding's cabinet. and
no one was more surprised at the
selection than Mr. DENLY himself
inauguration. the country heard
from him in a way that convinced it
the PresidAnt's selection had been
well considered. Speaking at the
Navy League ba nquet, in Washington.
in straight fran -the-shoulder fashion
II would belle every utterance OF
my rt1athre years" he sad and
every Thought Of my mind if did no.
believe In making the Navy great
that may confront our country. and
il l did not believe in making it a
fighting Navy. 1 have never known
a time when the American Navy and
the american Marine Corps were not
ready to fight. but have known the
time when they were not At to fight.
The men: Yes! The equipment: No!
And the Navy ought to be ready to
fight. ana ought to be At. trained to
the minute and with the finest possi-
i BILE equipment that the people Of the
United States can give to their first
line of defense"
| 4 ~
! This. declaration was less than a
| month old when the country began to
realize that Mr.. DENLY not only loved
the Navy. but knew it, from keel to
torntast. and that he proposed to util-
ize that knowledge in developing the
highest efficiency attainable.
! Esseptfafly Navy man, having
lserved as gunner's mate on the Yo-
semitic during the Spanish war and q
marine in the late war, Mr.. DENLY did
the natural thing at the outset-spent
a few days. After his appointment get
ting hts office in order and then left
for a visit 10 the Atlantic fleet off
Cuba. His aids will never forget that
trip. He inspected everything from
boilerk 20 crows nests. When he left
had been inspected by new type Of
Secretary-one who knew ships as
well as men.
Mr. Denby's knowledge of the Navy
and his love for it have impressed
themselves so forcbly upon those
! with whom he has come in contact
that one Of the popular queries con-
| nected with the new administration
is. Who recommended him to the
! PRESIDENT One does not have to
delve far into: the Secretary's record