The Detroit times., 1914-12-12
Underwater Fighters and Air
Craft Especially Needed, De-
clares Annual Report
ECONOMY IN BIDS
For MATERIAL CITED
Government Owned ArmOr
Plant is Urged as Fostering
Cheaper Building

annual report published today, Sec
rotary OF the Navy Josephus Daniels
emphasizes the fact that 1914
has increased the fighting strength
or the navy by three dreadnaughts,
and he beSpeaks the cooperation of
congress in the present TO assure a
continued, steady and normal in
crease for the coming year. Con-
gress was generous In its response
not only to the recommendations Of
the department for these three
dreadnaughts, with the necessary
supplemental craft called for, but
TO nearly all the recommendations
The program this year keeps pace
with that of last year and bespeaks
two dreadnaughts, six destroyers,
eight or more submarines, a gunboat,
and an oiler.
The effective fighting force OF the
navy has been increased since June
80, 1913. by the completion OF two
battleships, the New York and Texas,
81 knots each. and the first OF our
warships 10 carry 14-inch guns by
completion OF eight destroyers, 10
submarines. two fuel ships, and
three gunboats.
The secretary Is especially solicit.
tous TO bring up our strength in
submarines and air craft He ad-
duces figures 10 show that, as COM
pared with foreign nations, our sub
marine fotilla is relatively and ac-
tually very POWERFUL submarines
built or building, with eight more
authorized by last years bill. Never
theless he would impress upon on
gress the Importance OF making a
larger increase" He recommends
one to be OF seagoing and seven OF
coast defense type The Portsmouth
IN. H. Navy yard Is building one
of the last authorized submarines,
with the idea partly in view of as
pertaining the exact cost of sub
marine construction information
which will be valuable In case the
government. in the absence of COM
petition, should desire TO build Its
own submarine. During the COM
Ing year, II Is quite likely that II
will be necessary to further increase
the construction Of submarines in
navy yards.
The effort continues to be to save
ashore for expenditure afioat. and
the estimates for the fiscal year OF
1856. amount to $139,569. 409.SS,
or s664.30673 less than the 1915
appropriations The department
spent no dollar merely because 1t
was appropriated. and turns back In
to the treasury $2,427.539.76 out of
the appropriations for~the last fiscal
year.
The sharpest competition has been
insisted upon this year as last The
three battleships authorized this
year, which are to be known as the
California, Idaho, and Mississippi,
would have cost $432.440 more had
the contracts been placed at the
same cost per ton OF displacement
as the cost of the Pennsylvania. The
injunction Of the naval act OF 1914
that nothing shall be bought in the
markets which can be made as
cheaply or more so by the navy it
self, has been conscientiously obeyed,
Contrary to popular idea, the navy
can manufacture its material-from
leviathian erdreadnaughts, en-
zines for battleships, gasoline en-
zines, shrapnel. uniforms. accounter-
ments. and the like. down to pound
OF powder or a gallon of paint
cheaper than II can be purchased.
IT has lived to see powder fall from
so cents a pound to 26 cents. be-
cause 1t undertook itself to make IL.
If the department had purchased the
powder Il made last year its powder
bill would have been increased by
s397,536.16. The navy has in the
two years IL has been making tor
,pedoes, reduced the cast OF manu-.
facture In its Newport plant from
$4,000 TO $4,000 each. while the
price at the only private plant is
Sc 900 apiece.
Pursuant to provision In the last
naval bill, commission, consisting
of the chairmen OF the two naval
affairs committees, Senator Tillman
and Representative Padgett. and one
naval officer. Rear Admiral Strauss,
chief OF the bureau OF ordnance. are
at present investigating the cost OF
government armor plant OF either
10000 or 10000 tons annually. IL
Is sincerely to be regretted that the
war In Europe prevents examination
into armor-plate abroad. The three
armor making plants in this country
usually submit Identical or nearly
identical bids. The 24,3S4 tons OF
armor for the three battleships
authorized during the first year OF
the present administration of the
navy, the department expected to se-
cure at wholesale rates at least. hut
this single-minded trio OF factories
submitted bids only trife less than
the price they had received for the
armor OF the Arizona last year. The
bids were promptly rejected and
unon the second Kidding the depart-
ment accented bids which resulted in
an economy OF s73s.e4S. The de-
partment renews its recommendation
for a. government armor-plate fac
tory.
The report calls attention to the OF.
ganization OF the National Naval
militia this year and the organization
OF q naval militia general board. The
secretary strongly urges the perfec-
ton NJ the organization. IL costs only
1886 900 a year 10 maintain the 1872
naval militiamen az against s4542. $40
20 maintain the same number OF en-
listed men in the regular navy for
the same period OF time. In this con-
nection the report urges the organiza-
ton Of the country's potential naval
reserve which II possesses IN the more
than 5000 men who In the past 10
years have retired after at least one
'ouryear enlistment
The service has become so attrac-
i've to the youth Of the land that T.
az been possible not only to select