The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-12-10
Sentiment IS AGAINST A
BIC NAVY. SAYS Daniels
Secretary Tells House Naval Commit
tee That the American Navy
Should Be Steadily Strengthened In
an Orderly Way Each Year
By Associated Press.

Washington, Dec. 10.-Secretary
Daniels told the House Naval Commit
tee to-day that, while the American
navy should be steadily strengthened
in an orderly way each year, the sen
timent of the American people was
against making the United States into
military nation in competition with
the armed Powers of Europe.
The Secretary's declarations to-day
close upon the remarkable testimony OF
Rear Admiral Fletcher, commander OF
the Atlantic fleet, who yesterday told
the House committee there was only
one navy in the world-England 's-to
which the United States was not
equal, came as climax to two days
discussion of the preparedness of the
nation for defense.
Secretary Daniels declared he de-
cried the demands for great increases
in the array of battleships and subma
rines and declared the United States
already was strong nation. He out.
lined this years plan for two dread
nougthts, six torpedo boat destroyers
eight or more submarines, including one
of the seagoing type and the others
loi Codot uclChooB oho Sunpooe oisN
one oiler.
He advised Congress lot to act any
differently in providing for naval
strength than it would have acted if
there had been no war in Europe. He
declared that after the conflict abroad
had been settled there would be many
lessons made plain and he expressed
the hope that the universal disarma.
ment might come then, although no ma
ton could afford to stop its construc'
tion program until an international
agreement had become an actuality
Mr.. Daniels outlined plan for naval
reserve to keep $4,000 trained former
sailors of the navy for practically in
slant service and revealed that all re.
tired officers were being registered for
that purpose now.
"There is no OCCASION" said the
Secretary, "to have as big and power.
ful navy as England, for instance,
but we ought to have a powerful navy,
steadily strengthened each year. Ny
opinion is that universal disarmament
will come, but never by the action of
any one nation, and we would not fur
ther it by stopping construction now. -
eff war should be jumped on us in a
month would you feel that a defense
would be successfully he was asked.
$50 far as tie auxiliary transports
and the similar ships are concerned
we can command them at any time, .
the secretary said. "And, with the
progress we are making and the steady
annual increase of the navy, our eoun-
try is in a very good position to-day. y
Secretary Daniels added he, "never
fully accepted" the saying that the
way to prevent war was to be prepared
to fight, although it was as much mis-.
take not to have strong navy. He
said he believed in concentrating every
dollar of money for construction in the
fighting ships. The auxiliaries had
been commanded at any time.
Questioned by Congressman of the
committee he agreed that to build a
navy against England, two battleship
orgram would be insufficient, but said
"we are not building against any ma
tion or against any body, but simply
against any untoward contingency.
He said he favored, as against pol
icy, the retiring of ships after they
were twenty years old.
Have we a powerful navy now?"
he was asked.
eyes, we have, but you never will
keep anything powerful if you stand
still' He added he would prefer 20
dreadnoughts to 40 pre-dreadnoughts.