The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-12-02
ANNUAL REPORT OF
SECRETARY MEYER
fakes Strong Ground Against
Decrease in Effective
Strength of Navy.
AOOKS TO TIE FUTURE
Declares United States Should
Possess Forty BattleshlpS
4 at the Very Least.

III w, s1JtNGToN. Dec. With plea
k3,,. ,bore shall be no decrease In the et-
.as.o,,,.o strength Of the United states
s,sy-, George Won l., Meyer, secretary OF
fbe navy. in his annual report 10 con-
rrees declares that while seeking peace
and playing ? leading part in the move
ment for general arbitration treaties. the
uorId must understand that America is
prepared for war
IL The short life OF y warshp for first OF
second line Of nse-approNimstelY
fwcnty ycars-has caused the secretary
Ito ask more ships. this year, not TO IN
IEs existing strength. This strength; he
saws. is being diminished by me cnlnl-
|nation from active service OF Inc pat'le-
ships first constructed for The new
? y ''The recommendation" he says, FOR
naval policy which will give
N1fs tho fleet desired Is made with due
Regard for tho almost world wide move,
nent for the settlement OF International
ldisputes by arbitration, in which move
Gqr s,S2y S2yTy "f All IS Knds 5sken the
nrescnt, shows the futility and danger ot
Iirustins 10 tho good VIII and fair deaf
ling even Ia the most soieWnlN pnldlns
i trcatios between nations for the protcc-
ttion OF a worlds sovereign rights aI<~ In
fterests, and without douh, the time Is
trcmote when comparatively unarmou
fsafe from attack bN ambitious, well
fsrrned powers. especially in CONNER
4cisl age such rs the present Tho eco, eco,
tnomica system OF great commercial
nation is so delicatcly balanced that even
Ii threat of war is very disturbing and
harmful. while a war with any other
iGrcat power would cause lncalcnIaole
Manage. and it Is more necessary now
Than ever before that we should be fully
lIcrcpsrcd and that every other power
Ishould understand that. while. seeking
.<sAn sg.r.l Al IN
United States i'll Rear.
( Tho United States, Secretary Never
4says. is far in tho rear OF the leading
naval powers in projected naval con-
EIstruction even on the basis of two new
fIbattlcshlps "A year.
4battlcsbips and two golfers only. This
us In line with the policy Of several years
ycar In addition TO this the secretary
zlndicatcs that the navy would welcome
spne Of the new type OF battleship cruis-
<cls. such as Great Britain. Germany and
out that there is a great deficiency in the
Number OF cruisers. scouts. destroyors:
Submarines and auXillarics for the main
Eepance and protection OF the battle
He suggests tha, all OF these auxiTiarics
need not be ordered at once, but that the
lappronrialiun could be stretched over a
number Of years. Disturbances in Asia
=Rud central America noccssitatine the
PROT ection of interests Of this country.
also have shown. the need for more light
-draft Sunboats for river use.
I The secretary declares that ships tweu-
~ years old are obsolete and worthless
list shows the famous old Oregon and her
pster battleships. Indiana and Massa-
| husctts, as having reached the fatal
bcriod and should be replaced immediate
~ as well as the Iowa, In fact Sec
Fctary Never names twelve battleships
nat can no longer be regarded as avail
Dablc for tho first line Of battle, and which
mould be replaced by 1920. Aside from
Hose already indiCa ted they are the
kcarsasc. Kentucky. Alabama Illinois.
= WISCONSIN,, Maine, Ohio and Missouri.
IEears. ''' - '''''' '''T ''' "'0 '''"
Need Forty Battleships.
E"A total of forty battlcsEips. with n
proportcnal number OF other lighting and
AUXILIARY vessels. is the least that will
place our country on safe basis in re-
tation with other world powers, says the
& seecrctary,
)H'1 Tho secretary regards the creation OF
syevelopment OF the year. since IL Will in
arf'ne The readiness for war of practically
''fPsrry vessel Of military value.
HIhe report touches sparngly on the
UipJcci OF the clSEt-hour law, rcCitins
le 4ne experience of the department during
!, Hs past year In placing contracts FOR
Esn,; What the effect viii be on the
nSTpdihg FOR the battleships provided for
" the last act is Problcmatical.
INs Ia personnel the report declares
Pat the aim Of all naval education and
-~Taining is TO produce the sea officer who
~ command ships and fleets and that
- ~ inc coinbatant clements aboard ships
vioulu belong TO the line. Line officers
sd EIeat'er should perform the duties of
#shaSlcr. and Willie the present con-
n. tIuction corps made mp Of Naval aCad-
~ LILY graduates may continue TO do spe-
~ "orE: the younger officers may here
. hIty.
IN Inc abandonment OF the turbine engine
Y favor of the old recproc9;ing type is
tcIarca TO have followed an exhaust tive
Pmpdrison OF the TWO kinds OF machln-
~ was found that the reciprocal