Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-08
THE NAVAL BILL REPORTED
MEASURE PROVIDES FOR TWO
NEW BATTLESHIPS.
Amount Recommended Is $1O3,o67,
518, or $22, 1871 Less Than
the Estimates.

| IiiS NoISlIU ClloIl OF TWO instead OF fOOl
battleships and eight instead Of four sub:
marine torpedo boats. and carrying g
total appropriation of sos. 967.5 for the
naval service for the fiscal year ending
June 80. 1909. was reported to the House
today by Chairman Foss Of the commit
tee on naval affairs
Inc total appropriation recommended Is
s22.51S,S31 less than the aggregate esti-
mates submitted by the department, and
| Is 3.6SS.9l6 more than the amount an
propriated for the fiscal year ending June
| 80, 1908.
Submarine Torpedo Boats.
! The bill carries an item Of 81 coo nm
| toward the construction of submarine tor
pedo boats and an item of s445OOO toward
the construction of subsurface submarine
torpedo boats Provision is made for the
enlistment of 5000 men to nina the follow
ing ships which are to be put in commits
sion within the next few months: The Cali
fornia, Mississippi. Idaho. New Hamp-
SHIRE, South Dakota, North Carolina
Montana, Chester Birmingham and
Salem. and for 800 men required to man
torpedo boats not now in commission.
The appropriation for transportation is
increased $4,000 because the navy has
enlisted more men this year than in any
previous year and great many of the
recruits came from interior points The
allowance for Outfits on first enlist
ment' is increased to Sa0OOOO on account
of increased cost of materials and hea yier
enliStmentS.
Principal Items.
Among the chief items in the bill are
the following: For pay of the navy. SGT
214.2o1; bureau of navigation, So 43S, 276
bureau of ordnance. $1O,744, ~: bureau of
equipment, 1924. $40; bureau of yards
and docks. $3 10. 400: naval training sta
ton. great lakes, S1,O95 800: bureau of
construction and repair. $500 1914; bu-
reau of steam engineering. SIS. 300 4oO
under the heading increase of the navy
Tor construction and machinery. So
s52,962; for armor and armament. $1,000
oo; Tor the equipment 100000: for sub
surface and submarine boats, S1445OOO
The report shows that there are in
course of building and not yet delivered
the following vessels: Seven battleshipS
four armored cruisers, three scout cruis-
ers. five torpedo boat destroyers, four
submarine torpedo boats. two GOLFERS and
Two Sea-gOlng tugs. The amount neces-
sary TO be appropriated to pay for the
work now progressing and contracted for
during the next fiscal year is 81. 232 962.
The "Naval Program"
Under the heading naval program the
committee recommends that the President
be authorized to have constructed two
hrst-class battlships, to cost, exclusive of
armor and armament. not exceeding
600 each: ten torpedo boat destroy
ers. to have the highest practicable speed
and to cost exclusive of armament not to
exceed $4,000 each; that the Secretary
of the Navy be authorized to have con-
structed e ght submarine torpedo boats.
to cost in ,na aggregate not more than
/ 4 ,i@l, O. M.
appfUri'Ghel: alrd ONE subsurface torpedo
boat at Q <<Nt not to exceed $4O0. OC0. and
two clialll vessr's of like type not to ex-
coed in cost $3.50 each-a total authori-
cation Of SSS9i5.ooo which will be in
and eq'lipping the two battleships.
The report shows that the naval con-
struction programs, Of the several foreign
powers contemplate the expenditure Of
the following amounts for vessels as fndi-
Gated during the coming year:
England-Three battleshipS Of the
Dreadnaught type. one fast unarmored
cruiser. five ocean-going destroyers
snemsrnes s 4ss sfpe00 boats twelve
France-Five destroyers. ten subna-
rines SIS, 1868
Germany-Two battleships. one armored
cruiser. two scout cruisers, twelve de-
$50
Japan-s17. 965 1893 for construction aud
repair. including the restoration of Rus
sian warships taken as prizes.
Russia-s15. 000.0 for construction and
repair
Brazil-Three battleships, two scout
cruisers. eighteen torpedo boats and de-
strOyers.
Navies of Great Powers.
The relative positions of the several
powers in naval strength is shown to be
as follows:
Ships built-Great Britain, United
States. France, Germany Japan, Russia,
Italy. Austria.
Ships built and buildng-Great Britain,
France. United States, Germany. Japan.
Russia, Italy, Austria.
Representative Hobson of Alabama sub
mitted a minority report recommending
that provision be made in the bill for four
first-class battleships instead of two.