Ogden Standard-Examiner | 1920-06-05 | Page 5 | Raps Critics of Navy Record

flFiCDi Called Height of. Folly to De- pend on Statements Made in Harinng WASHINGTON, Jun0 5. Although declaring that a. number of changes In tho organization of the navy department depart-ment might be desirable, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt, in a' letter to Chairman Hale, of the sen- j ate naval committee, said the adoption j of any plan of reorganization based on I the "snap judgment" and "broad statements" of witnesses before the' senate committee Investigating the navy's conduct of the war would be the "height of folly." Mr. Roosevelt suggested the authorization au-thorization of two additional assistant! secretaries to have immediate super-1 vision over the personnel and matorlal bureaus, respectively. j One condition In urgent need ofj remedy, Mr. Roosevelt declared, Is the "present tendency to build up a holler- than-thou organization of officers In j the war college at Newport," adding that tiic Institution should be brought Into closer touch with the "actual life' of the navy." J Secretary Daniels also transmitted , to Chairman Hale a tabulation show- 1 lng the state of preparedness of all the ships of the navy in February and j April. 1917. I In a letter accompanying It he said"; Senator Hale had insisted on making j part of the record of the investigation a document "unwarranted and unjust j to the United States navy." and that ' tho table was a reply to this part of tho record. J Tho matter referred to was a coni-j pllalion prepared by Senator Halo's office purporting to show the condl-1 tlon of the vessels In February,- 1517. and contending that some of thorn were not fit for battle. j oo