Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1902-04-29
THE NAVAL PROGRAM
FOR NEXT YEAR OF UNUS.
UAL INTEREST.
There Are Few Ships Of Real Fighting
Value In The Navy-PIan Of
The Naval Academy
Improvement


The naval program for 1909, as pre-
sented in the Naval Appropriation bi
aid report filed yesterday by Chairman
George 4. Foss. OF the House Naval
| Committee, is one OF unusual interest. II
does not take as optimistic a view oil
American naval prowess as is generally
held, and MIR. Foss points out that com
paratively lew of the ships have any real
| Fl, hting value.
Mr.. Foss accompanies this with a
statement OF the enormous naval arma-
ment and programs OF other countries,
particularly Germany. IL is shown by
the report that the total number OF yes
sells OF the United States navy built and
buid ng is 3S and the total cost will be
S23s cS2. .2oo. The report adds that while
We have built and are building, all told,
1873 ships, yet comparatively lew of them
have any real fighting value. Our naval
prowess lies almost entirely in our IS
Dattleships, 8 armored cruisers and IL
protected cruisers. The rest OF our ships
would cut but little figure in actual war.
Ships of The battle line practically alone
determine the naval strength OF a nation.
The United States Naval Academy re.
ceives $500. 600 TO carry on the plan OF
improvement. The committee calls at
tention to the lack of officers sufficient
to officer the new ships, and to meet this
hve hundred additional cadets at the
Naval Academy are provided TOR, Izs
each year during the next four years.
As has already been stated. each SEN
ator, member and delegate OF the House
OF Representatives is to have the appoint
ment OF one and the President twenty
four, these being allotted during the
period OF four years. An additional sum
Of S22o.o COS is provided for the civil ad-
ministrauon oil the Naval Academy. Re-
ierring to the $500 900 expenditure at
the Naval Academy, the Committee re-
ports as follows
"By act of Congress June 7. the Sec
retary OF the Navy was authonz I'd to
complete plans Covering all contempla-
ted buildings and Improvements at the
Naval Academy and Tor each and every
purpose connected therewilh, which plans
shall involve the total expenditure OF not
more than s8. .ooo, 600. And it was fur
ther provided that after the preparation
and approval OF the plans the
Secretary of the Navy is authorized TO
enter into contract or contracts Tor any
pait or all OF the improvements and the
buildings herein authorized within said
limit OF cost, to be paid tor as appropria-
tons may from time to time be made by
law. Accordingly such plans we're COM
pleted and approved by the Secretary OF
the Navy on October 3. 1900. and con
tracts have been let for most OF the
hufldIuu whirh m h. ~x~rtaH
"The armory and the boathouse are
nearly finished. 1he contract has been
let tor Inc cadets quarters, which Will
cost S2,24S 600, accommodating I.2oo
cadets. Inc foundations OF the marine
engineering building are now being con-
structed. The gymnasium and officers
quarters will be under contract by June
1. as will also be the building known as
the officers mess, and plans for the sea
wall work are now practically completed
and will be advertised in a short time.
The following is a statement of the ap-
propriations which have been made for
the rebuilding OF the Naval Academy:
BY act OF May 4, 1893, $500. 900; by act
OF March 3. 1899, $4,000; by act OF
June 7, 1900, $4,000; by act OF March
- AT~1p %9p~TSsS A0tAA oAA0Ahb dPptN-
priated. $3.50 600.
"There has been expended up to date
SI,Ioz,I48.IT. The payments to be made
between now and the Ist of July will
bring the expenditures up to s., ,oo4,-
o34.37. leaving on July Ist and unex-
penoed halauce of 81, 500 900. This un-
expended balance, with a further appro-
prialion of $500. 600. recommended in
this bill will oe necessary to meet the
payments due on contracts made and to
be made during the coming fiscal year.
The bill contains an appropriation of
S7oo. 900 tor dredging the Severn river.
This IL the amendment inserted in the
bill at the instance of Representative
Sydney Z. Mudd. No provision is made
in the bill in the matter of the use of the
Maclay history at the Academy. MIR.
Mudd, during a committee meeting,
sought to enjoin the Secretary of the
Navy from purchasing mis- book for the
use OF the cadets, but he was assure d
that if he withheld his proposed amend.
ment TO the bill the Secretary of the
Navy would promise that the history
would not be purchased. This promise
has been secured, so that there is now no
necessity Tor the amendment.