New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-11
Former Captain of Dreadnought
Delaware Demands That 49,
BattIeShlp Policy Be Car
rIed Out by 1925.
OR LOSE RANK AS NATION
Monroe Doctrine No Stronger
than the American Fleet
Franklin Roosevelt Calls
on Navy League to
Educate Public.

Washington. April 10-Not one OF
the thirty-one battleships and twenty
four destroyers that constituted the
fighting force Of the 127 vessels which
assembled for review in New York
Harbor last October was ready for
war. Captain John Hood told the Navy
League to-day at its session here. Cap
tain Hood, who is now member of
the Navy General Board gave his
views on a desirable naval policy. At
the time of the review he was captain
Of the dreadnought Delaware. pennant
ship of the fleet.
Not counting the British feet with
which no conflict need ever be feared. "
he said. lin 1920 Germany can put to
sea forty-one battlcships, of which
twenty-five will be dreadnoughts. and
also fifteen battle cruisers; France
will have thirty-eight capital ships of
which twenty-three will be dread
noughts: Japan will have thirty-siX.
Of which seventeen will be dread
noughts or dreadnousht cruisers.
"Nothng short OF the General Boards s
policy Of forty eight battIcships for the
United States can even approach ade-
ouacy, and fleet inadequate is bur
len without protection. At our present
rate OF growth we in 1920 could put out
against these srmaments thirty three
ships all told, of which only sixteen will
be drea adnouehts.
AT no time has our fleet been de-
Nolopcd along lines Of consistent
thought to meet definite end. which
should he the guarantee Of the nation 5
peace. To-day we have fleet TOO small
and heterogeneous TO meet the ends
which justify the maintenance. and too
large TO he carried as a burden for
plaything.
Forty.eioht b. 1925.
Take as the basis Of your naval
policy a building programme that VIII
give US by 1922 feet of forty-cight
first line battlcships, with the lesser
units and auxiliaries that so with them
since it is hopeless to attain that re-
suit by 1920. the date originally called
for by the General Board policy.
Cut off ruthessIy and sell and scrap
all vessels on the navy list OF no n'ill-
tary value and all superfIuous yards
and stations not needed for the main
.ensnce Of the fleet, which uselessly
are absorbing large sums OF pubic
money in their care and upkeep. PRO,
vide and train enough officers ana
men on the active list and IN tne re-
serve fully TO man this fleet Tor war
Provide necessary bases and arsenai3'
and educate the people that no flef IS
.deouste for the preservation OF pdsce
which has not the readiness sno
strenoth to meet the enemy and say
thou shalt not Show them its trItl'ng
COST as compared with even the small
est and successful War-our war WIN
Spain.
.We have inherited from our fathers
no entanelirg alliances. out we nave
~. Monroe Doctrine. AS the nations
Of europe and Asia become over
crowded with their ever increasing
oor,,Istions. that doctrine promises 20
he fruitful source Of contention ana
CHALLENGE. and that doctrine is no
.stronoer than the American fleet.
There is the principle Of Asatic eX-
clusion: the principle known as the
onen door policy, and there is our de-
termination to assume military control
Of the Panama Canal territory and It's
contiguous waters.
Ignorance the Fault
Il do not believe the nation STANDS
roadv 10 modify or abandon any on
these principles. and only lack OF
Cor,lnued on fourth page, third column.