The Detroit times., 1914-05-04
u. S. lack Tars Are Most Efficient In World

The large increase In the approprl-
alton for new ships Is therefore que,
mostly, TO the fact that the present
bill provides for two battleships, WINE
the last appropriation authorized Only
one We submit that there Is no neeui
for these two battleships, or for either 4
OF them, that their authorizations
means a useless expenditure OF SoV'-l
100000, and that the bill should Do
amended by striking them out. IN
this position we have the support both
OF the Democratic caucus and OF the
house. In 1912 the Democratic eau
Gus determined three different times
by overwhelming majorities that we
did not need any more battleships and
that none should be authorized that
year. Since then We have added 10
our fleet the two greatest battleships
in the world, and after this great IN
crease in the navy, Il will put the
caucus OF the Democratic party in
position OF the grossest inconsistency
for Democrats 10 now decide that we
still need two more
The minority goes ON 20 make the
assertion that much smaller navy
would be amply adequate for all puT'
PhANn VI QGAGhb0 dllu UIOlGNlAph Oh -
count OF the conditions that surround
the United States. >
In making plea for a smaller navy,
the members say: Our immense trade
with foreign countries and their de-
pendence upon our products for their
material prosperity make IL apparent
that IL would be contrary TO their in
terests 10 wage war against us, even
II we assume, what is not true, that
any OF them desire TO engage in fight
ing us. The great distance between
us and other nations, and the conse-
Quent difficulty. II not impossibility,
Of any foreign nation being able TO
supply itself with the coal, oil and am.
munition necessary 10 prosecute ma
val war against us IS a sufficient as
surance of peace, even II self-interest
or a barbarous desire for war could
be attributed to other nations. Our
coast defenses, mines, submarines and
torpedoes present an insuperable DIM
Guilty TO successful attack upon buR
shores, even IL any nation should be
foolish enough TO believe It could de-
stroy our feet.
THE necessity for an increase or
our navy" continues this report, "is
completely disproven by the facts ad-
United at the hearings that we have
more than half as many battleships as
England. 10 more than France, 20
more than Japan, "a more than Rus
STA, % more than Italy, and 81 more
than Austria-Hungary, and we have
shown that we have the same number
and much more powerful ones than
Germany.
'We have abundant evidence that
our system of navy administration is
essentially extravagant and wasteful,
This IS apparent in the two following
respects: We have a number OF use
less navy yards, necessitating fool
fish duplication OF buildings, overhead
charges, power plants, machinery, dry
docks, cranes and OF everything need
full at each navy yard. II all our work
were done at two navy yards and the
other yards sold and abandoned, IL
would reduce the amount OF our naval
expenditures enormously. We place
at the head OF our navy yards naval
officers who have had no experience
as managers of Industrial plants, and
hence we are unable TO conduct them
in an economical manner"