The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-11
Not One of 127 Vessels Re-
viewed in New York Last
October Was Ready
for War
FORMER CAPTAIN
GIVES VIEWS ON
NEW NAVAL POLICY
sAt No Time Has Our Navy Been
Developed Along Lines of Con-
sistent Thought" Says Cap
tain Hood-A Burden and
Of No Protection

washington. April 1o-Not one of the
81 battleships and "a destroyers that con-
rtituted the fighting force of 127 vessels
which assembled for review in New York
harbor LIST October was ready for war,
Captain John Hood, the captain of the
dreadnaught Delaware the pennant ship
of the fleet. told the navy league today
Mt its session here. Captain Hood, now
member of the navy general board, gave
his views on a desirable naval policy.
Not counting the British fleet, with
which conflict need ever be feared" he
said, "in 1890, Germany can put to sea Al
battleships, of which 25 will be dread
naughts and Is battle cruisers; France
will have 3s capital ships. of which %
will be dreadnaughts, Japan win have 49,
of which II viii be dreadnaughts or dread
naught cruisers Nothing short of the
general boards policy of As battleships for
the United States can even approach
adequacy and a fleet inadequate is a
burden without protection. At our pres
ent rate of growth we, In 1920. could put
told. of which only 1e will be dread
naughts.
.At no time has our fleet been de-
lveloped along lines of consistent thought
to meet definite end which should be
the guarantee of the nations peace. To-
cay we have fleet too small and heter-
ogenous to meet the ends which justify its
maintenance, and too large to be carried
as a burden for a plaything.
Building Programme
Take as the basis of your naval policy
q building programme that will give us
by 1920. fleet of IS first line batteships,
with the lesser units and auXiiaries that
go with them, since it is hopeless to ats
tain that result of 1920, the date original
" called for by the general board policy.
rCut off ruthlessly. and sell and SCRAP
al vessels on the navy list of no military
fighting value, and all superfiuous yards
and stations not needed for the main
tenance OF the fleet which uselessly are
absorbing large sums of public money in
their care and upkeep. Provide and train
enough officers and men on the active
list and in the reserve to fully man this
fleet for war. Provide necessary bases
and arsenals; and educate the people that
no fleet is adequate for the preservation
OF peace which has not the readiness and
say.
Thou Shalt Not Show them its trifling
cost as compared with even the small
est and most successful war-our war
with Spain.
Regarding Monroe Doctrine
I'VE have inherited from our fathers no
sntangling alliances. but we have the
Monroe doctrine. AS the nations of
Europe and Asia become overcrowded
with their ever increasing populations,
this doctrine promises to be fruitful
source of contention and and challenge
and that doctrine is no stronger than the
American fleet. There is the principle OF
Asiatic exclusion, the principle known
as the open door policy and there is our
determination to assume military control
of the Panama canal territory and it's
contiguous waters / do not believe the
nation stands ready to modify or aban-
don any of these principles and only u
lack of knowledge by the people at large
is responsible for keeping the country in
a state of unreadiness to maintain them
with reasonable surety of continued peace
and honor.
Though we have put on the garments
Bof peace and honor; though we have
tbeen softened by Christianity and have
fstriven nearer to altruism in thought and
Sact. the great fundamental underlying
Epassions and springs action In man
fare the same today as they were when
Cain slew Abel Human nature in the
mass has changed little or none since
the days of the Pharaohs. The nations
of today most liable to change our rights
and policies with whom our interests
most conflict are the strong men of the
nations, armed and ready The habits OF
<xpediency that we have followed must
CEASE if we are to hold our place among
the nations"
Captain Hood declared that such a
f hui ba ba
formulated by the national Congress in
1913. but never had been acted upon.
Perry Belmont urged the creation of a
national council of defense as an expert
body to advise Congress on military
questions and pointed out that one of the
planks of the democratic convention at
Baltimore declared in favor OF it,
Eight cities have sent invitations to
the league to hold its convention next
b year within their borders. They are: St.
Louis, San Francisco. Buffalo, Nashville,
Milwaukee, Boston. Denver and San
Diego, Cal.