The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-01
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President Said to Give Over Bi
 tt Navy $te ssF 70

President Said to Give over Big Navy. <se e@'
 Washington Special to Brooklyn Eagle. Sa s esSs has e, let of hss If battleships Is big enough for this coun- try to maintain under present condi- tions. He has vetoed the elaborate the Navy Department, all of which call for the construction of battleships far beyond the limit set by the President; navy now has about all the battieships needed to protect the interests of the country both at home and abroad. class, either completed or in course of construction. It would probably be better to say that there are twenty. contracts have not yet been made for the two that were authorized at the last session of Congress. There are acss tSe pUnt %th where they W
 be obsolete and useless. As they be- come unfit for further service they will be replaced by first-class battieshtpEs; sh tE,s fleets up to thirty vessels.
 It is the Presidents belief that if this number of first st-classs41ghting ships is maintained 1t will be ample for the needs of the nation under existing con- ditions. This does not mean that the building of batt1eships is to cease until in tain the S Rsn iset with fuil strength. it viii be necessary to construct at least one additional vessel year, to replace old ships retired on account of wear and
 The decision of the President that the naval strength. ought to be limited craft Ai as cruisers. isbt Epnboats and torpedo boats as will constitute a well-balanced fleet, Is a great disappointment to the naval officers. They hadBoped that the advocated so vigorously as Assistant Secretary of the Navy. at which time he was one of the most ardent cham. pions of a great navy. The members of the General Board of the Navy. of which Admiral Dewey Is Chairman, re. gently submitted .s.,ssS,y navy plan sxs1t that State and Territory. The President de- cided that this was too ambitious a program to be adopted at the present tions are very satisfactory Of course. doned whenever 1t becomes apparent in a"s war. s GS The President merely adopted the views of some of the leading men In Congress when he decides that 1t Is time to call a partial halt on the ex-
 It has been like pulling teeth to get money out of Congress Tor new Dattle- ships the last few years.
 Senate Committee on Naval Affairs. has been strongly opposed to building more battleships. He has said openly on the floor of the Senate, time and time again. that the navy Is big enough. and that all that is needed are a few cruis- CTS with an occasional battleship to keep the fleet from running down.
 Much the same views are gaining ground in the House. which has always been the friend of the navy. It IS ex- ceedingly doubtful If even that body will favor big appropriations for bat tleships in the immediate future.
 President Roosevelt Is expected to outline in his message to Congress his ideas as represented in the foregoing. It is understood that he will recon. mend only one new battleship instead of three. as suggested by the Board Of Construction. The President wants the single vessel to be of 1S,000 tons, est ship In the American navy.