The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-12-01

Continued From Page One.
United States take the initiative n
invite all the powers to a conference
| to discuss reduction of the heavy cost
of armies and the navies.
Secretary Daniels says his building
programme is not large, but is pro-
/ gressive and has been recommended
las a middle course of WISDOM the
! revenues of the country not permitting
as large an expansion in naval build
ing as the department might desire to
! enter upon at this time. That is the
explanation for the proposed reduction
of the building programme recon-
mended by the general board, which
! contemplated construction of four
battleships. sixteen destrOyers and n
destroyer tender; eight submarines
and one tender; two oilers, two gun
boats, one transport, one supply ship
and one hospital ship.
The secretary thinks that the time
has come when the department should
be freed from excessive prices charg-
ed by private manufacturers of armur
plate, guns and gun forgings, powder,
torpedoes and other supplies and
munitions, so he recommends appro-
priatiOns for an armOr plate factory
and an increase in the gun factory, the
powder factory and the torpedo works.
He refers to his efforts to secure
reasonable prices from the armor
companies and asserts that without
its own plant, the government
| would be at the mercy of
three manufacturers in time of war.
History does not warrant an assump-
ton, he adds, that the patriotism of
these companies will prove superior
to their desire for profits, inasmuch
as during the time war with Spain
was imminent they refused to accept
the price fixed by congress and de-
cl1ned to manufacture any armor un-
til they got their own price Of 500
more a ton than congress had deter
mined on. The report comments upon
contracts made by the companies to
supply foreign navies with armor at
prices much below those charged
their W government, and directs
particular attention to the fact that
they at present supply armor for the
japanese cruiser Haruna at $4O6. 35 a.
ton while charging 1904 to $44O a ton
Ior armor for the American battle
ship No. 80.
The recommendation regarding oil
wells n refineTieS follows the trans
formation of modern navies from coal
to oil burners. The report saws the
price OF oil is steadily creeping upward
is now twice as much as in 1911. and
Will De a staggering item in the ey-
pense account Of the navy in the fIt-
ure unless the navy controls its own
WeIls. Even now the navy is using
30,OO0,OO0 gallons of oil a wear and
there is likelihood that this will be in
Gleased IN the future to $4,000, 900 gal
IcilS' winch must be purchased from the
OIL companies at their own Drice
therefore, Mr.. Daniels urges. nv tho
tlme the Panama canal is opened tho
navy should be producing it's own n;i
from its petroleum reserves in tho Elk
Hills and Buena Vista fields of eli
1ornla; its refineries Should be in oner-
alton; Oil land should be leased in tho
mid-continent fields and oil tanES
erected at various ports. 'N'
Ihe report speaks Of the wrecking
or the Pearl harbor dry dock as "thee
naval tragedy Of the year" which IN
an hours time caused a. loss If e.
.oo,ogU, swept away a naval project and
introduced a problem ON immossIr
able difficulty which will be rafarred
congress. 10
The report declares that too n,ob
money has been spent ashore for hIlf1d
n n too little for docks and war-
snlpS' though no definite recomn1enda-
lionS are made for the location of now,
JOCKS pending the building of IAN sJn'
quate n well proportioned navy"
DeSertlons, formerly a serious nroh-
lem, nave decreased in a gratifvinr a.
SIee' the secretary reports. owing n
oelter educational facilities, rims |
""L e lot the benefits of foreign tray.
Ell and a closer intimacy betwnao ~
enlisted men and the officers Inc
prlslngly good rsults, it is said hSomn
louoWed the disciplinary barranks
Mhich are really schools of correction
anu most or the young men sent "a
them Tor desertion have iusti6e1 49,
returned to their ships. "elns
ioto chdplalns, many more. ;s tho
crying need Of the navy and Secr . me
Danlels says 1t is a reproach ~ %%LS
country that it now. has onJv tbo ne
1919 G Iilat 1t a 1912. He recon-
her oS tIt oiliy an increase in the MN
pef OIL chaplalns, but an ~apnronriatinn
TO enable him to employ on n sUpn!aCon
tnat has no chaplain A yo,Inn rlS snip
leaoer to be known as a "ue,ftItlslous
etary:' He thinks, though +ba ae sec
men in the service. every 1000
Because youths admitted ~
rs by lair competitive evo nn.lapo-
ont ith a,lgne% than those who enter with,
~ - competition, the report s,,y VII
49, coIsressmen hereafter sSnTJS
name midshipmen on the basis Of fnould
nrincina atlons Carrying out the - su n,n
onatrat edtIIi in bonast of fitness d en-
secretary says that the ancien
eeG!ion to possible ,favoritieno pro
arpi.rary marks Of 'tadantibi,;oy the
nlahlLg appointments tn III IN
corps, has at last been ]er eaf marine
stand ana in ne hopes it win never =, : me
seI In co IN the way of real merit. again
the apportionment of 81 eao os says that
annual appropriation for natrs Of the
siy s.ea H eH rites and men seems p excf for
dcer re &C qrnes fhe case fa Of . young o.
cause Of defective vision enent be-
line offleer Cor M any service except pStFfs &C !
tire him because he Would 1einsed e re-