Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1913-10-28
DANIELS FOR A TRUCE
IN WARSH|P BUILDING
Favors Worldwide Agreement in
Line With Winston CburchilPs
Plan.
WAR GAME AT PANAMA.
U. S. Battleships Will Test Efficiency
Of Canals Deiences.

Of Canals Deiences.
Secretary of the Nav Daniels de-
clared himself in favor of a world
wide agreement Of all first class ma
tions to close or curtail the construc-
tion IF battleships for a stipulated
period. He did this while aboard
the President train at Atlanta.
The Secretary's suggestion follow
ed his Endorsement OF q similar prop
osition made to Germany by Great
Britain's FIRST Lord Of the Admiral
ty, Winston Churchill.
= believe such an agreement
must be made sooner or later for
economic reasons, said Secre tary
Daniels. The hysteria of naval
preparations is proving too great a
burden for the people We ourselves
are spending $40, 600, 600 annually
on our navy and an equal amount on
our army, and that IL but a bagatelle
compared to what the great Powers
of europe and Japan are spending,
with new vessels superseding and
making obsolete all that have been
built before.
"The world today is facing the
anomaly of making its navy less ade-
quate by increasing il. For when
new vessels are built with their more
powerful armament they render USE
lees the smaller warships, save for
coast defence.
The Secretary said that such an
agreement joined in by Germany,
England, France, Russia, Japan and
the United States would result in the
greatest benefit to humanity in gem
eral from an economic standpoint.
"Unless some agreement is soon
reached, he said, every citizen will
figuratively be carrying a soldier on
his back. :"
An official test of effectiveness of
the Panama Canal Notifications will
be made next February by the Attain
tic feet in the greatest naval war
game in the history of the country.
This announcem mt was officially made
yesterday afternoon by Lieut. Com
mander N. L. Jones, naval aid TO the
President and Secretary of the Navy
Josephus Daniels, who is aboard the
Presidents special.
The manoeuvers, which will last a
week, may be witness ID by the
President and the Secretary of the
Navy. Mr.. Wilson is being urged to
make the journey, and il is under
stood that he is seriously considering
accepting the invitation. The test
will follow the manoeuvers off Guile
bra Island, which is being considered
for an advance naval base. The en-
tire feet will steam from there to
Cristohol; the Atlantic terminal OF
the canal, from which point the ma
noeuvers will be directed.
Naval experts will determine def
nitely how near vessels can get to the
caaal by day or night without discov-
cry. Observations will be made from
the fire control towers, 1873 feet
above deck, and attempts TO sketch
the locks and Notifications will be
made. From the fire control towers
it is estimated that the range OF Wis
ion is incre ased sixteen to eighteen
miles. Attempts to determine wheth-
er an invading fleet could get near
enough 10 the canal to FIRE shells
ashore will also be made. Tests to
determine the value of the canal
breakwater for feet anchorage will
also form part OF the program.
At Culebra Island, whose value as
an advance base will be determined,
marines will be landed first to take
theoretical possession. They will
plant mines and torpedoes and will
set up emergency guns TO hold it until
the arrival of the fleet. The Secretary
conferred informally with the Presi-
dent yesterday on the battleship pro-
gramme for the coming year. he
spent the greater portion Of the day
with Lieutenant Commander Jones,
his aid, going over estimates.
Mr.. Daniels, il is understood,
favors three battleship programme,
and has so told the President. The
latter, it is said, views this plan with
favor, but is rather in a qusndary
because he does not know what reve-
nue. the new tariff will bring. While
Mr.. Daniels favors three or at the
least two new war vessels, he will
probably not ask for an appropria-
tion for GOLFERS or suxiliaries, one of
the big items of former naval appro-
priations.
In his estimate he will probably
recommend that no golfers or auxil-
iaries be built because the navy will
have at its disposal the sixty new col
Tiers being Suilt by the Canal Com
for use on the Panama Canal,
and these are 5000 to 10000 tons
each and would be all available in
TINA If vvar