Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-12-06
Pleads for Three New Battle
ships in 1918; Two.Per.
Year Policy Declared In
adequate.
MUST KEEP ABREAST
OF SISTER NATIONS
Head of Naval Establishment
Declares Possession of Eff.
cient Fleet Is Only Safe.
guard Against War.
my Leased wire 90 ryeBlaE n.rslal

/ my Leased wire 60 EVehIaE HsraIdl
! Washington, Dee . The United
states must have bigger navy and
/ must he prepared t. meet any chance
1 uf war In the opinion uf secretary
| Meyer ut the navy department., II II
| Is To- preserve its nntiunul safety IN
| his annual report, made public To.
day, Secretary Meyer pleads for three
new hHttlrshlps this year, and de
clurcs that this country viii soon fall
| from SECOND to fourth place IN the
r"latiN" standing Of naval powers II
| 10 continues the policy ur building
| only two ships each year
! International peace has been
| brought no nearer, the secretary de-
| clIrrs 50 far az limitation Vt armu-
mcnts Is concerned. 10 guard iiuI
COust and protect itH commercial ac-
Itvitics, the United states needs per
muncnt navy of forty-uur capital
ships hattlrShips ana battle cruisers
according tu secretary Meyer. ThU|
present strength of the navy In bat.
| tl"ships TX about thirty three, but
four ships will soon be- retired as uO-
sOlrte.
4
"f IN" development of the navy dur
| ing the year, with few recommended
lions beyond those contained IN his
former reports. He gives chief en-
phasis Ia his recommendation that
III" navy be Increased according to u
program that viii keep the nation in
us present position among the world
Ipuwcrs, ana the suggestion that con-
grcss remove tho limit upon the
Inmuunt of money thnt can be spent
for aviation ana permit the navy to-
compete With the like establishments
of other nations n developing aerial
methods Of defense.
For III" coming year the secretary
I"f the navy urges that congress dps
pr0priatc money for three battlcshipa
Of the DrcadnOught rlnss and for two
BATH" cruisers, sixteen doslruyrra. nix
submarines, iva gunboais, ana II Meet
lof auNilinri"s 10 iuClud" trnuspurts
supply ships, tugs. tenders aud u dry
dock. Th" navy general board rec
l"mm"nds four .Oattl"ships, aud Soc
rotary Meyer pbinta out that even
though this number should b" author
lied 1t would mean no real increase
In tn" navy ~ four ships are soon
W w I'llINil l''NNllNf llltN VIII nave
passed IA" ag" at twenty years,
Secretary Meyer espresso skcpti-
ciSm ns to the abolition OF war in the
near future, Wars come with litl,
on no warming, he says, ana only hy
III" possession OF an efficient fleet at
nd"uuut" slZ" win the country be- sat,
from attack and free To work ulli ~,
own destiny IN peace and without
hindrun""S
9TH" history of All times, including
IA" present, shows the futilliN aud
d"rg"r ui trusting to the good will aud
fair dealing, aud even To the most sol
EMMY hudiug treaties between ma
tons Tor IA" protection OF n Nations
sovereign rights and interests" he
SAYS, aud without doubt the time ia
remote when a comparatively I'm.
armed iud helpless nation may be
r"asunnhly Tree from attack by am
bilious, Wrll-arm"d powers. especially
In u commercial age. such az the prcD-
enl IN" economical system Of n
great commercial nation IL ~ deli
Catcly balanced that even II threat Of
war II very disturbing ana harmful,
while u war with any other great
power would cause inCHlcnlnblr dam
age.
'''ru avoid war and insure peace
the country must h" prepared for war.
No person uf Intelligence who has
studied International policies can he
blind to the fact that the possession
, Of great wealth, resources and pOpu-
latlOn does not carry with Il immun-
ity from attack should the nations
interests clash with those OF another
; better prepared"
The opening Of the Pannm- canaI
VIII In no sense double the American
) fleet, according TO Secretary Meyer.
. While II viii Increase It's efficiency by
! facilitating In pasHnge from one
coast Ia the other, this condition In
, been fully considered in calculating
: the naval program. without the
, canal, says Secretary Meyer, experts
: figure that the United states would
/ need fleet double that ~ a country
whose coast line In continuous
The secretary estimates that u total
= OF forty-Onc battl6ships, with a pro-
portIOnRl number OF other ilghting
and auxiliary vessels IL the least that
would place this country on safe
basis In lts relations with olhoI
world powers. This feet should be-
secured an soon Az practicable, hi
f, said. and lts strength should be main.
tanned by replacing obsolete vessels
with new ones by uniform nnnua
program. While the navy depart.
ment would welcome more torpedo
boats and submarlRaH, tho aecretar!
/ expFeRseB the belief that until more
Of the old battleahlps ara replaced 1
~ wiser 10 build battloahIpg thar
smaller vessels.
AZ 20. the need OF hattie cruisers
the swSteF ships of the llFAt line o