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Page 39
His face darkened.
"Yes. There had been tension for months. The whole service was
demoralised. Discipline and efficiency were destroyed. As far back as
1914, I testified before the House Committee on Naval Affairs that it
would take five years to make our fleet ready to fight the fleet of any
first-class naval power, and to get our personnel into proper condition.
I said that we were not able to defend the Monroe Doctrine in the
Atlantic, or to force the Open Door of trade in the Pacific. I might as
well have spoken to the winds, and when the order came last April,
against the best naval advice, to take our fleet into the Pacific, I
handed in my resignation."
"You must be glad you did, in view of what happened."
"Yes; but--I am thinking of my country. I am thinking of those
unfortunate ships that have come around South America without sufficient
coal or provisions."
I asked Admiral Allyn how the American fleet compared with the Germans in
number of ships. He shook his head.
"We are far behind them. Nine years ago, in 1912, we stood next to Great
Britain in naval strength; but since then we have steadily fallen back.
Germany has a dozen super-dreadnoughts, ships of over 30,000 tons, while
we have six. Germany has twenty dreadnoughts of from 20,000 to 30,000
tons to our ten. She has four battle-cruisers, while we have none. She
has a hundred destroyers to our twenty-five."
"I understand that these figures refer to the fleets that are actually
going into battle?"
"Yes. Germany's entire naval strength is a third more than that. I have
accurate information. You see, our fleet is outclassed."
"But it will fight?"
"Of course our fleet will fight; but--we can't get to our base at
Guant�namo--the German fleet blocks the way. For years we have begged
that Guant�namo be fortified; but our request was always refused."
"Why?"
"Ah, why? Why, in 1915, were we refused eighteen thousand men on the
active list that were absolutely necessary to man our ships? Why have we
practically no naval reserves? Why, in 1916, were the President's
reasonable demands for naval preparedness refused by Congress? I will
tell you why! Because politics has been considered more than efficiency
in the handling of our navy. Vital needs have been neglected, so that a
show of economy could be made to the people and get their votes. Economy!
Good heavens! you see where it has brought us!"
On the morning of July 11, as I was breakfasting in the hotel with
Admiral Allyn, there was great excitement outside, and, going to the
piazza, we saw a large airship approaching rapidly from the northwest at
the height of about a mile. It was one of the non-rigid Parseval type,
evidently a German.
"A scout from the enemy's fleet," said Admiral Allyn.
"That means they are not far away?"
"Yes. They came through the Windward Passage three weeks ago, and have
been lying off Guant�namo ever since. We ought to have wireless reports
of them soon."
As a matter of fact, before noon the wireless station at Santiago de Cuba
flashed the news that coasting steamers had reported German battleships
steaming slowly to the south, and a few hours later other wireless
reports informed us that the American fleet had been sighted off the
southern coast of Haiti.
The Admiral nodded grimly.
"The hour has struck. The German and American fleets will meet in these
waters somewhere between Guant�namo and Jamaica."
CHAPTER XIII
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