Arizona republican., 1913-07-07
Such Is Statement Issued to Navy League of Unit ed States, Congressman Fred A. Britten of Hi nOis.
WANTS AT LEAST
 TWO EACH YEAR
Says This Country Has
 Depended More On Uni versal Peace for Protec- tiOn Than Upon Addi- tions to Inadequate Navy.
Especial to The Republican,


 WASHINGTON, July 7.-"The Unit ed States is right now face to cace with a great emergency in so far as her program for battIeship construc- tion is concerned So great is that emergency that I intend to move. at the first regular meeting of the com mittee on naval affairs that a reso- lutiOn be at once reported to the house providing for an emergency ap- propriatiOn sufficiently large to make it possible to begin the immediate construction of three dreadnOuShts this year"
 Such is the statement issued to the Navy League of the United States Dy Fred A. Britten, congressman from Chicago and new member of the com mittee on naval affairs. That com mittee as at present constituted has never gone on record with relation to it's stand on naval construction Mir. Britten figures that his motion will at least have the result of getting the committee, and possibly congress, on record as to what it intends to do in relation to the maintenance of an adequate navy The Republicans in congress have favored a program of at least two battleships a year and the democratic platform adopted at Baltimore pledged that party to the maintenance of an adequate navy. Secretary Daniels has recently urged that each of the three big navy yards should at all times have dread- nought in course of constructor. From the White House have come unofficial statements indicating that the president favors the building c1 at least two battleships year Hut there has been absolutely no acton since this administration came into power that would put it on record os to the program it intends to follow MT. Britten hopes, througl his reso- lution. to definitely ascertain the splr- if of the present congress.
 "This country pretty well realizes continued MT. Britton, that it must maintain a building program or at least two battleships a year. Because ot the action of the last congress in proYld- ing for but one battleship. this pro- gram is now two ships in arrears. We should therefore provide for three dreadnoughts year for two years and for two each year thereafter These dreadnoughts must, of course, be ac- companied by the proper number of cruisers. torpedo boat destroyers and submarines
 For the past decade this country has been relying upon a policy of inter national peace. looking to disarmament that has gradually been putting us at an ever greater disadvantage, seeing that other nations are evincfng no in cIfnat ton to dispense with or curtail their preparations for war. For in stance: the United States has now in process of building warship tonnage to the amount of 125,238 tons. Against this Great Britain has in process of building warship tonnage amounting to 449,940 tons, Germany 286,215, France 175. .95O tons. Japan 142,1 tons, Russia 172.277 tons and little Italy 191.473 tons.
 '"The strength of a navy is meas ured largely by the number of "capital' or all big gun, ships, including dread thoughts and battle cruisers View from this standpoint, the present and future standing of the nations is indt- cated by the following table:
 Built Building Total