Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-12-03
Secretary Of Navy ID Ills annual
Report Urges 8aiIainy Of
Large eallIashIps
WOULD SPEND ABOUT s7l,0eO,o0o
administration presses -son CON-.
a'ess the Project For An Immense.
increase In the Nsvy-complalnss
That Our ship Yarda are Too slow
-comparls0n Of our Navy.
ny AsseeInted prosnl


By Associated press)
WASHINGTON. Dec. e-s;eoreto,, s
o. Tie Navy Mctcalh IN his amman
report recommends IN immonao al.
iition TO Tho United States Nayy ~
~ peileved that the President has an.
proved OF this plan for naval cxpan.
sion and viii cndorse II in his mes.
sage. 80 ''is.''
The building program, which cnlls
Tor an expenditure OF $69,a7o, 900. lu
al follows. $500
;, Four OF tho largest battleShIps in
.ne world tDolawnrc typs). 10 cost
Ssooo,oOO each; sSS.00O.Uuu.
-FOUR scout cru!scrs nj Ss.50Do0
each; $4,000 600.
= Ten torpedo boat aeatroyers at
$4,000; $S,5ODo00.
si52o,oo
o inc. s,iigantIcei ship. s1,f5O,QOo N
ssone yFeDair ship. 81, eO6,oOp.. Nj
70 eonveet IS Jsii aSra into
milts layinsss liiiis.Ss
Four nect Golfers s7,o0O0oo sss
Would Keep on Buigulna.
secretary Melcalf adop.s practical
~ the program recommended nv tl,eg
general board of the navy, OF which
Admiral Dewey Is chairmari. He SAVE.
III Is true that our navy nj tha
present tlne Is the second m Ell
cheney. Our position. howeTsr, iB
largely due TO the fact that during
the past fiscal year our sea strength
and hghtins efficiency have been In.
creased by the completion and .cl!y.
cry OF number of new battleshinR
and cruisers of The largest and mcst
approved type, but we wall moi main.
tam this position worry long unlcsay
Congies shall authorize the building
OF additional ships. IT IS or the
highest Importance that old and prac.
tlcaiiy obsolete ships be replaced bv
ships OF the newest type. 1t is ppettyt
generally conceded that tho DattIe.5i
snip Is the lighting machine, and 1t
Is also pretty generally conceded that
the most effective battleshlp is tha
nj big gun ship of the Delaware typo.
as compared with Other naval now-
srJ we are deficient in iGstroyors and
Submarines, and arc also woefuliy de.
lcieEt in colliers.n
Cur Shl3bulldero Are SLOW.
Discussing the necessity OF rcduc-
ing The time in which hat.laships afo
built, MIR. Mctcalf says;
There Is no Reason why we ehouid b
not build . chip within the same t.ms
NJ ships are built by other naval
powers Our mechanics are just az
'killfsl and all thc matcria! used sn
ihipbuilding is produced in oar own
country Foreign powers hnyA dem,
lhs'ra;ed mat warships OF tho great.
est tonnags can be built within ono
year. The Keel Of the Japanese cru.s.
y ibuki' OF 1000 tons displacennnt
was laid at Kure on May g, 1907, and
me vessel was launched on Novem.s
Der u. The English Dreadnaughr
was built and commissioned within
me year. md there is no reason why.
! proper Inducements are held out 10
'ur sh'pbri!ders, w canlot buiid.an
commission n ship within the zanle
eagth OF time"
He recommends that the four rof.
icrs ha built IN government Yards
me ench al New York League Island. ii
Norfolk aud Porthmouth.
What Other Natlons Are Dcinn.
In foreign shipbuilding programs
If the current year the characteristics
'eature of all Is the presence of bat
lesh'ps CT heavy displacement, de-
'troyeTF and submarines, and WEB
he German exception. the omission OF (
irmourcd cruisers says air. hiskaIf.
'the speed and displacement OF bat
leships arc increasing in ell conn
ries. and there is marked tendency
owards reduction ia the number
II celihers of guns competing the az,
namcnt. The armament OF the lat
st type of batleshirs Is composed OF
ieayy tGrret guns and OF snlalcr
7ins intended for defense or sgaihst
crpedo craft The latter, however.
re- Increasing in calfber to suca s.
osree that In some ships OF recent
esen they are cf the sir,a casipers
Continued on Page Five, i