Albuquerque morning journal., 1913-12-01
Secretary in Annual Report
Urges Adoption of Instruc-
ton Aboard Ships and at
Shore Stations,
THIRTEEN NEW WARSHIPS
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED
These Are to Include Two
DreadnaughtS, Eight De-
StrOyerS and Three Subma-
dnes Of Very Latest Types,
tsr .o.sss ,ovss.l sssei,l ls.sss w,su

requirement and operation of oil wells
end rcfineries to furnish fuel for Tie
navy an international conference 10
secure a reduction OF naval e0nstruc-
tion. the addition Of two dread
naughts eight destroyers and three
submarines Tor tho navy during the
coming year. government manufacture
of armor. more naval chaplains and
religious leaders, better educational
facilities for enlisted men and a
graduated retirement law are chief
recommendation in the first annual
report OF Secretary Daniels, made pub
lic today
The secretary departs from the
usual custom In addressing the presl-
dent In the first person singular,
thereby adding 10 the direotness and
force Of the reports statements. The
report reflects his enthusiasm over
the navy, declaring that the story II
the years work "by this patriotic body
Of efficient defenders Of the repuh-
lic is replete with examples OF cour-
age devotion, sacrifice and progress.
The secretary says the navy was
never in such a high state OF eff
cheney as today. and that i'm eonsid-
ering IFS future needs he has given less
thought to the guns than TO the men
behind the guns Believing that the
efficiency of the navy as a fighting
force will be i'm the highest sense pro-
NOTED boy the adoption Of serious
and systematic course Of instruction
aboard ship and at shore stations. he
points out that the department rs
trying 10 make the navy great uni
versIty Not only ordinary seamcn
but even petty officers have too lit
Tie accurate knowledge and this will
be corrected by a systematic course
OF instruction, Midshlpmen Of the
graduating classes viii be utilized as
instructors with mutual benefit to
the men and themselves" and to fit
them for this work q short normal
course will be added to the naval
academy curriculum. AS the war col-
lege is the apex Of the navy system
Of education, the department will try
To have all officers pass through this
training, using mail courses whore adj
visable.
The recent proposition Of Winston
Churchill first lord of the British adj
miralty. for "a naval vacation" meets
with the socretarys heartest COM
mendation in view Of the tremendous
increase IN American naval expendi-
lures. Pointing out that ten years
ago the largest battleship cost S5,-
S3S2,0 600. while the next dreaduaught
will cost S14,Oi4,0O0, Mr.. Daniels asks
when is this accelerating expenditure
to be reduced He adds that 1t is not
vacation that we need but a perma
ueut policy 90 guard against eStrava-
gant expansionists" Time, he sug
eests should be given TO shipbuilders
to guard against loss from a reduc-
tion Of the building programs. The
report recommends that the United
states take the initiative and invite
all the powers to a conference TO dis
cuss reduction OF the heavy cost of
armies and navlcs,
Secretary Daniels says his building
program is not large, but is progress
sive and has recommended 'as a
middle course Of wisdom the reve-
nues Of the country not permitting as
large an expansion In naval building
as the department might desire to en-
ter upon at this time. That is the
explanation for the proposed reduc-
tion OF the building program recon-
mended by the general board, which
contemplated the construction of four
battleships, sixteen destroyers and one
destroyer tender. eight submarines
and one tender; two oilers. two gum
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 charged
by private manufacturers Of armor
plate guns and gun forgings, powder
torpedoes and other supplies and mu-
nitions, SO he recommends appropria
tions for an armor plate factory and
an increase IN the gun factory the
powder factory and the torpedo
works He refers 10 his efforts to Sc
cure reasonable prices from the ar
NOR companies. and asserts that with
out It's own plant the government.
would be at the mercy Of three man
ufacturers in time of war, History
does not warrant an assumption, he
adds, that the patriotism Of these
companies viii prove superior 20 their
dcslre for profits, inasmuch as dur
ing the time war with Spain was i'm
minent they refused 20 accept the
price fixed by congress and declined
TO manufacture any armor until they
got their own price OF Sl00 more q
ton than congress had determined on.
The report comments upon contracts
made by the companies TO supply for
eign navies with armor at prices much
below those charged their own gov
ernment, and directs particular atten-
tion 20 the fact that they at present
supply armor for the Japanese eruistr
Haruna at S406.S5 ton while charg-
ing $5O4 10 S540 a ton for armor for
/ the American hattleship Ne. So
The recommendation regarding oil
wells and refineries follows the trans