The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-12-12
DREADNAUGHT STILL MAIN DEPENDENCE
 OF ANY SEA POWER
tcontinued from Page one)

Tn submarines is most desirable, but nothing in the present war has dis proved their faith in the modern dread naught The fact that there has been no encounter between these powerful ships does not justify the conclusion that their further construction should be discarded in favor of the smaller craft which has astonished the world by its ability to sink cruisers and oth- CT craft, giving its severest and most fatal blows before its presence is dis covered. It may be that naval engage ments later on will teach lessons that will change expert opinion, but as long as the bulk of the ablest naval of- ficers believe the incI ease of the navy should embrace, in fair proportion, the dreadnaught, the destroyer and the sub marine, the Secretary would not feel warranted in recommending a widely different programme of construction.
 However, in view of the demon strated power of the submarine, would impress upon Congress the i'm portance of making a larger increase in the submarine craft. approprlating generously therefor without reducing the appropriations for other craft. The estimates for these were reduced to the minimum.
 Navy Not Neglected
 That our navy has not neglected the construction of submarines will be seen by comparison of our strength in this craft with that of foreign navies. It Is roughly estimated that there are built or building for the various navies the following number of submarines: Eng land, S4 France, 76; United States, 51; Germany, 31; Japan, IT. This estimate
 was made in July of this year. When the relative sizes of the fleets of the great nations enumerated above are considered, it will be seen that the
 United States has a submarine flotilla relatively and actually very powerful.
 Eng glands fleet is more than twice as great as ours. yet she has but little more than half as many more subma- rines. France has a considerably larger submarine fleet than ours. with a small CT navy, but she has in the past taken
 the lead in submarine building. Some years ago she abandoned the dread naught policy to acquire large num- bers of submarines. but in the last two or three years has made unusual ex- ertions to repair her deficiency In dreadnaughts. England has overcome
 this lead, and we are on that road. hay ing in addition to the 51 ships already mentioned eight or more authorized by last years bill, on which work will shortly commence, and We are asking for eightgor more this year. which will SW6ll OuT tOLdl u at lcdSJ ot HI tii0 iiC<<s three years. Germany, with larger feet than ours, has less submarines, and Japan. with fleet smaller than ours in strength, only half as many submarines.
 What we have done, however. in submarine construction Is but an earn est of what must be done in the future l When we shall have a division of sea going submarines in commission, we will have added to the battleship fleet strong fighting unit which must be of large importance in any oversees operations.
 About Ayiators
 l Of aviation the secretary says:
 Aircraft have demonstrated in ths present war in Europe that no military arm is complete which lacks them They will not replace vessels of war, but vii extend the field of operations to the ail as well as on the surface of and under meath the water. They provide the best means for discovering submarine mines and have now become an Indispensable | naval adjunct.
 We are but in the infancy of aircraft | The development in the manufacture o these craft in this country needs to bt | stimulated, and the success of this arm | of the military service abroad will be 6 mighty stimulus to American manufac | turers. &s | ''Orders were given. early in the year l for some foreign-buiit aeroplanes. in ad 1 dition to larger orders for aeroplane' 1 made in this country. Unfortunately. thu
 war made it impossible for the orderI placed abroad to be filled, and the trial ol
 such craft must be Postponed. The bes |, types of American manufacture have beer | ordered and the department will develop
 this modern branch of the naval service
 steadily and rapidly.s
 | View Not Shared
 l The general board does not take ths same view. It's report refers to it's rec concentrations in 1913. which brought tc
 the attention of the department the dan