The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-27
TO STRENGTHEN THE NAVY.
The General Board wants nm In
creased Appropriations

According to the present plans of the
| officials Of the Navy Department Con-
sress viii be asked at the next session to
provide larger naval budget than has
been recommended In many years. All Of
the officers of the General Board of the
department favor a programme which
VIII place the United States on n naval
plan with majority Of the European
Powers, and recent developments have
/ led American naval experts to believe
that in order to preserve peace and t.
prevent any attempted infringement II
the Monroe Doctrine this Government
| must place itself in a position to cause
European Powers to fear the strength
and efficiency Of the American navy.
Admiral Dewey is quoted as being of the
same mind today as he was when at
/ Trieste. en- route from Manila to the
United States when he made the predic-
| ton that Americas next war would be
| with Germany and it would not be Of
Americas seeking.
| Recent developments have also caused
/ Admiral Dewey's associates on the naval
/ board to believe that the policy of Ger
many is a menace TO the United States
| and that unless the German ruler makes
| radical change in his attitude this Gov
I eminent viii be compelled to either aban-
J don the Monroe Doctrine or take measures
! for preserving it
! It is understood that the officials of the
/ Navy Department do not want war with
/ Germany and are not seeking any trouble
! They do not believe, however, that this
/ trouble can long be avoided unless pre-
! ventive measures are taken. The way to
/ avoid the trouble, it Is said by the naval
| officers. is to make such preparations as
I viii deter Germany or any other Power
/ from assuming a hostile attitude
| American naval officers have watched
/ with interest the expedition with which
| Germany is completing her naval pro-
! Gramme and placing new vessels in com
/ mission. 1t is understood here that the
I programme VIII be completed within q
/ few years and TO counteract the prepon-
+ deratng force Germany would have at
/ that time, the General Board Of the Navy
/ Department believes that it would be
! highly advisable for the United States to
! adopt a naval programme which would
/ give this country a sufficiently large fleet
/ to cope with that of a Continental Euro
/ pean Power
( With this in view. the General Board
/ has authorized the Bureau OF Coustruc-
! ton to prepare plans for two battlesHips.
! Of I2,o09 TONS one battIesflip, Of 1900
/ tons. and two armored cruisers The larg-
/ er battleship viii be designed with view
! to duplication. as it IS contemplated hav-
! ing the new type displace the older and
/ smaller vessels Aside from the 5000 ton
] battleships, no other heavy type of naval
/ vessels iS favored by the board The two
/ 1000 ton battlesh(gs VIII sacrifice speed
to heavy armament and Will each carry
/ four 1S-inch guns and eight S-inch guns,
I besides the secondary battery
J The proposed cruisers will carry prac-
/ ticaiIy the same batteries as those used
by the heavy batIeships today
With the advance made by Germany in
! South America, there is every reason TO
/ believe that the General Board viii I'M
( press upon Secretary Long in its next re-
Z port. the necessity of securing authority
/ from Congress for a sufficient number of
Z ships to eua bic the United States TO up
( hold the Monroe Doctrine.