Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-09
By ADMIRAL GEORGE DEWEY.

the people nstinctvely how
The Of the people live inland rarely battleshp
have opportunity for gaining knowledge of the navy
They believe in adequate navy but not sufficiently
Informed urge their representatives to its upbuldng The
result mas been that the growth of the navy has been aphazard
has been fevershly pushed when there imminent
national danger and allowed to almost by the board when
there seemed the unframed observer for alarm
The General Board carefully studied the nations
aspirations and the strength of the with whom
mercial rivalry likely to bring us in contact.
studied the well established national policies like the
Monroe Doctrine and the of Oriental immigration
looked possible complications defending the Panama
Canal and maintaining its neutrality.
became thoroughly convinced that policies could
be sustained without adequate that America must have
such navy surrender the place that should justly hold
among the nations of the world
General naval policies other
strong nations mazed itself with their degree of prepared
gained the facts of their probable strength date twenty
years ahead 1t found that Of these nations had outlined
for themselves definite that to lead to given
strength given time United States expects to be able
occupy position of influence beside those nations that time
it adopt program that will give comparable feet
the future date
So three years organization General Board in
1908 ready with its recommendations of building pro-
gram last through the and result well balanced
and effective feet the year 1920 convinced of the ad
visibility of substituting this continuing consistent building pro
for the haphazard methods of annual appropriations
advice with relation building policy It's recommendations
have year been unanimously concured by the experts
who have made the board The public has usually been
quaned with the number ships that the General Board has
asked but the for those requests have
dust the archives of the Navy Department and the public has
not understood the patriotic that lie back the
This year Secretary the Navy
ted the advice of the General Board Congress for the first time
and it has been made public
General most anxious that the public should
become familiar with the building policy that proposes 1T
BELIEVES THAT THE PUBLIC, UNDERSTANDING, WILL
INSTRUCT ITS REPRESENTATIVES, TO PROVIDE AN AIDE
QUATE FLEET. IF 1T DOES NOT THE RESPONSIBILITY
WILL THEN REST WITH THE PEOPLE AND NOT THE
NAVAL EXPERTS.
And what does this building program provde7
In the first place suggested that the nation adopt
definite cumulative building program. shown that
provision made for two bateships year with third ship
the third year. the result 1920 would be 48 capital
ships The auxiliary ships to maintain we'll balanced navy
should of be provided with each increase capital ships
This would not appear to be overambous building pro
gram The General Board later many
baeshps year The impression abroad that the
General Board stood for continuous of four ships
year This wrong The Board recommended this
of ships for year because the ships provided previous
years had been few and the possibility of reaching the goal
48 ships 1920 depended providing the greater number
the time asked
is not generally realized that the United States is lamen
taby behind its construction of bashps and that navy
has already been placed position of nferory during the
past two years.
The General Board realizes that policy of 4S
ships 1920 will be realized believes that building
program that will that result the earliest possible date
should, however, be definitely adopted
the of logical wellbalanced navy
brought about this Government will have by
feet among the nations but will then have only then
adequate navy
That fleet will consist a capital ship the
Union For each bateshp there should be destroyers
and two submarines those invisible protectors of home
This comprehensive program would harmony with the
requirements of the Constitution and would provide and main
tain adequate and well proportional navy sufficient defend
American policies protect citizens and uphold the honor and
dignity of the nation"