Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-11
, an .eyer-ready state of unreadiness.

in an .ever-ready state OF unreadiness.
But the day has passed when we can
count on having to do only with the cni-
dren among nations, or with the strohs
man already struggling for his HE as was
Britain in 1872, when our temporary
makeshifts and our exped1ehts couiu SUI
flee to carry us through unequai slIus-
giles; and the time has come 10 thilk
and plan: not only for the few. put 1or
all the people of the nation, IL we nope
to continue on our road or peace ana
prosperity, while upholding the tradltlons
and doctrines of our race
For the nations or To-Day Hiosl iiheiy
to challenge our rights and policies, ana
with whom our interests most conf11ct
are the strong men Of the nations, armed
and ready. Expressed in plain and sim
ole language the habits OF expectancy
that we have hitherto followed must
cease and give way to the steady law
of Thought and policy, If we are to hold
our place among the nations.
Capt. Hood traced the history of the
general board, since it's formation In
1900, and said it was the first light in
studying the situation, both in the United
States and in foreign countries, he de-
clared, the board formulated a definite
naval policy calculated to prove adequate
Duty of the Government.
1.-THE underlying principles OF this pol
icy are, first, that the nation should at
all times, as an insurance against war.
possess fleet fully equipped and manned
for war, of a strength sufficient to pre-
vent or answer any probable challenge
to our national policies; second, that the
absolute strength of such navy is not
a fixed, determined quantity, but Is rela-
tive and depends upon the naval poll
those nations
likely to challenge us; third, that a
building program should be inaugurated
and progressively continued that would
keep our fleet at all times superior In
strength to that Of the nation or nations
whose policies and interests conficted
most with ours; fourth, to progressively
increase the personnel Of the fleet with
the material. to the end that the whole
fleet would at all time be ready TOR war:
Take as the basis of your naval
policy a building program that will give
us fleet of forty-eight first line battle
ships, with the lesser units and aux
iliaries that go with them by 1928. since
1t is hopeless to attain that result by
1920, the date originally called FOR py
the general board policy"
Hoods Views Endorsed.
Capt. Hoods address caused much dis
cussion. Col. Robert M. Thompson, in
NNS-eSA ~
that Capt. Hood had "hit the nail on
the head" and said the United States
must have a navy large enough to meet
any situation. George II. Beamer Of the
District spoke against a large navy and
said he knew the present administration
is against one. Judge Hall of New York
and Crawford Frost of Baltimore joined
in the discussion.
Perry Belmont, the last speaker yes
terday, advocated the formation Of a ma
tional council of defense to formulate
and carry out policies for protecting the
country both on land and sea. The
movement for the council was Endorsed
by the democrats at the Baltimore con-
vention, he pointed out, and has received
the support of thinking men all over the
country.
The following directors were elected:
For the year ending March 81. 1914, Car
ter Harrison Fitzhugh of Chicago, Gov.
O'Neil of Alabama, Clarence Ousley of
Texas and r. w. Neeser of New York;
for the year ending March 81. 1915, J. D.
Phelan of San Francisco, George Won l..
Meyer of Massachusetts, and Perry Bel
mont of New York; for the term ending
March 81 1916 A. H. Stayton, j. Pierpont
Morgan, Charles l.. Poor, Louis A. Os-
borne, Henry H. Ward, Clinton E. Braine,
Beekman Winthrop, William A. Clark
and r. A. Long.