The Washington herald., 1914-11-22
NEWS OF ARMY NAVY AND MARINE CORPS
Construction of Submarines, Gunboats and Destroy
ers Urged for Naval Program.

While naval authorities, when the first
manifestation Of interest in submarines
resulted in Congress, from British and
German exploits. feared Congress would
resolve itself into q board Of naval
strategy and build submarines instead OF
Dreadnoughts, sentiment now is veering
into a fear less Congress should fall to
pursue this policy.
Already high authorities on military
matters are urging that this years naval
building program be given over entirely
to the construction of submarines, gun
boats and destroyers, recommendations
Of the secretary and general board to
be contrary notwithstanding. This pol
icy is urged for two general reasons:
First Because the first general en-
gagement between large opposing fleets
in the present war is yet TO be fought
and the lessons which naval constructors
OF Dreadnought battleships undoubtedly
will learn from such an engagement are
yet sealed, and may be so for months.
Second. Because the efficiency and
practicability OF submarines has been
fully demonstrated from the coast de-
fense viewpoint, at least, by the Euro
pean war, while the necessity Of small
coast defense and patrol service ships
was shown by the Mexican incident,
when we had our expensive Dread
noughts doing service for every kind OF
ship from patrol launch to marine trans
port.
whether or not the submarine has
driven the battleship from the sea, there
can be no question raised in any quar-
ter as to the efficiency of underwater at
tack. The submarine has demonstrated
its usefulness beyond the claims of Its
advocates; in fact, the most important
demonstration in a naval way has been
the military value OF the submarines
Submarine attack in various forms, oy
torpedo or mines, is a realization which
the strategists cannot dispute. For this
reason there should be a liberality be-
yoDd precedent in the Congressional pro-
vision in 1915 for submarines.
OF hardly less importance to this
country is the provision for destroyers
and gunboats, particularly in view OF the
character of duty devolving upon the
naval force in Southern waters. IL mas
been necessary frequently to employ
larger ships for doing service which
more properly and more economically
rests with gunboats. If we had sum
cient gunboats. for example, it would not
he necessary to keep such vessels as the
Machias on protracted duty in one place
to the discomfort of personnel and the
menace of discipline and efficiency. rms
class of work is not likely to diminish
as the wears 20 on We shall always
destroyers are of course. a known guam
tity. Their efficiency and usefulness are
unquestioned.
Therefore, in view OF the peculiar sit
uation which now attends naval con-
struction, it would be wise for Congress
TO proceed with caution in formulating
the 1915 naval building program. There
would be no peril derived from omitting
the item of battleships until We find
whether there is a need for that type
The international situation is such that
an interruption in battleship construc-
tion will not materially impair our ma
val fighting efficiency. In the meantime,
We can proceed along assured lines and
appreciably strengthen our power ahoat
by putting the battleship appropriation
into submarines. destroyers and gun
boats, with preference for submarines
But. despite this sentiment, in an
other column is printed the statement OF
a British naval expert commencing our
naval construction policy-heaVy armor
or none, and all big guns on center line