The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-12-01
SeC'Y DANIELS URGES
ECONOMY IN BUDGET
Continued from First Page.

trated in building ships for which ma
terial has been purchased Time
should be given for shipbuiders TO
incur loss.
Il venture To recommend that the
war and navy officials and other rep
resentatives OF all the nations invited
To hold a conference To discuss wheth-
or they can not agree upon a plan for
lessening the cost of preparation for
war II is recognized that the desired
end of competitive building, carried
on under whip and spur. could not be
effective without agreement between
great nations. 1t ought not To be diff
ncult To secure an agreement by
which navies will be adequate without
being Oycrgrown and without impos-
ing nverheavN taxation upon the in
dustry of II nation. | trust the tenta-
tive suggestion for "a naval holiday by
the strongest of the powers will he
debated and the matter seriously con-
sidered by an international conference
looking 10 reduction of the ambitious
ana costly plans for navy increase.
recommend that this country take the
Congress To authorize him To extend an
invitation to all the powers To attend
"a conference to discuss reduction of
the heavy cost of the army and navy"
Immediate requirement and opera
ton Of oil wells and refneries to fur
nish fuel for the navy government
manufacture of armor, more naval
chaplains better educational facilities
for enlisted men ana "A graduated re-
tirement law are the other chief rec
concentrations.
Asks Government Plate Factory.
The secretary thinks that the time
has come when the navy should be
freed from excessive prices charged by
private manufacturers of armor plate,
guns and gun forgings powder. tor
pedocs and other supplies and NUM-
lions, so ne recommends appropria-
lions for an armOr plate factory and
I'm increase i'm the gun factory, the
powder factory and the torpedo works.
He refers To his efforts To secure rea-
sOnable prices from the armor com
panies, and asserts that without it's
own plant the government would he
at the mercy of three manufacturers
In time of war. History does not war
rant an assumption, he adds, that
the patriotism of these companies will
prove superior To their desire for pro-
lit The report comments upon con-
tracts made by the companies To sup
ply foreign navies with armor at prices
much below those charged their own
government. and directs particular at
tention To the fact that they at pres
ent supply armor for the japanese
cruiser Haruna at $40G35 a ton, while
charging $500 to $44O ton for armor
for the American battleship No 80.
Fsvors Oil as Fuel.
The recommendation regarding oil
wells and refineries follows the trans
formation of modern navies from coal
to oil burners. The report SAYS the
price of oil is steadily creeping up
ward, is now twice as much as in 1911.
and will be staggering item i'm the
account of the navy ia tnc
future unless the navy controls IT'S
own wells. Therefore, Mr.. Daniels
urges, by the time the Panama canal
is opened the navy should be produ".
ing it's own oil from it's petroleum
reserves in the Elk hills and Bucna
Vista fields of California; it's reGrcr-
les should be in operations oil lands
should he leased in the mid-contincnt
fields and oil tanks erected at various
ports.
The report speaks of the wccCking Of
the Pearl harbor dry dock as the
navay tragedy of the year" which In
an hours time caused loss OF ST.
100000. swept away naval pfoieCt
and introduced a problem of immens.
urable difficulty which viii lac refer
red Ia Congress.
The report declares that toJ much