The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-11
Concession to Critics.

The statement by SeCreary Daniels
that next year he will recomm nd more
than two battlcships IL the revenues
permit is a distinct and important con-
cession to the advocates OF preparedness
The General Board of the Navy. headed by
Admiral Dewey, has advocated for Years
the building Of -four battlcshps annually
but these recommendation have been ig-
uorcd, just as Secretary Daniels has ig-
uorcd them this year and recommended
two battleships.
MIR. Daniels a. to-day's hearing, how
ever. said enough to commit him 10 a
policy Of pronounced naval expansion lie
declared that his programme calling for
two battleships was framed in the belief
!hat the revenues of the Government
would warrant no larger expenditures at
this time.
The safest policy he acknowledged.
would he to build four ba;tleships a
year" Then he added:
III YOU gentlemen will ind me the
money | will recommend four battleshlps
a year"
Secretary Daniels expressed the opinion
that there was no necessity for the United
States to build or maintain navy as
large as that OF Great Britain,
"Rut W. ough, to have navy large
and powerful enough tn meet any prob
able foe he continued. All tA.' the
American people desire is that We have "a
strong and powerful navy and II We do
this we will do all that they expect OF Us
I'VE do not need perfect naval de-
fence. because this would be Impossible
tu obtain. II would impuverish the coun-
: try We ought to spend enough money "a
keep our navy large and efficient but We
ought not to enter INTO competition with
the military Powers OF the world
You cannot build battleship in a day,
although you can commander and con
vert auxiliaries in time of war. with the
programme | nav" suggested OF providing
two battlcships this year We would have
regular and orderly increase in our
navy.
"If we could obtain an international
agreement with the large military Powers
for the limitation of the construction OF
naval vessels we ought 10 do II, but We
cannot do il by ourselves. We are in
creasng our navy to he properly prepared
for any emergency, hut We are not enter
ing into competition with the foreign
Powers.
Even in case OF an international agree
ment | think, We would always need
a navy. but of course II need not be 50
large When the war is over none of us
knows what the conditions will he. and
think il would be unsafe for this coun-
try to jcopardze our interests by discon-
tinuing the building OF fighting ships.
IF we build two dreadnouShts TINS
year we will meet the present needs OF the
navy OF course my opinion may change
in the next few months, but at present
think IL is wise policy to proceed with
the orderly increase OF the present policy
of providing two battleships year
Secretary Daniels emphatically disap-
proved the plan for q council of national
defence, proposed by Representative Hob
son, to be made up of experts from all
branches of the military service. He said
such a commission would closely resemble
the British Admiralty, which he char
acterized as "a military autocracy"
The Secretary of the Navy expressed
the opinion that the American people
would not countenance the creation of
such body. Mr. Daniels insisted that
i'm the final analysis Congress, advised
by the President and the executive heads
of the War and Navy Departments must
in the very nature Of things fashion the
military policy of the United states.