Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-19
DEFENSE PROGRAM
OF $1,0OO,0OO,0OO
Forty-Three First-Line Dread
naughts and Battle Cruis-
ers Planned for 1925.
1900, 900 TRAINED MEN
FOR ARMY IN SIX YEARS
Coast Defenses on Atlantic and Pa
cific to Be acknowledgements
Insurance Against Attack.

s~~~&ASS Se6s~~~~sS
Facts coming to light each day indi
cate that President Wilson's nationa
defense program contemplates an ex'
penditure on army and navy Of prob
ably 81, e0o, 00e. 600 in the next six years
For new ships and increased personne
for the navy $500, O0o. 200 is to be spent
In five years.
For the army it is proposed to spenc
an equally large sum within the perlot
named.
According to plans laid out by ex'
perts of the Navy and War depart
ments, there will be by 1925 a first line
of dreadnaughts and battle cruisers
numbering forty-three: a feet OF coast
defense submarines that would fringe
the Atlantic and Pacific coasts with ar
almost solid line of interior defense; q
fleet of nearly IFS destroyers and squad
rons of huge seagoing fleet submarines
to operate with the battle squadrons al
great distances from shore.
Huge and Fast Cruisers.
General characteristics of the super
battle cruisers for the new navy building
contemplated ships nearly 500 feet long,
between 80 and 100 feet in beam ana
with six turbine driven propellers to
make a minimum speed OF thirty-n'e
knots an hour. Even the new meet OF
scout cruisers will not equal the battle
cruisers in speed. The former VIII De
designed to maintain for long PERIODS
speed of twenty-five knots, enaufance
rather than excessive speed oelnS tne
object sought All OF the ne" uesuoy -
will make over thirty knots an hour ana
one of the six for which contracts were
let yesterday will make thirty-two KNOBS
Plan Vast Munitions Reserve.
For the army there would be at the
end of six years a trained force OF
100000 men. including regular army
OF 100000 and the proposed continental
army and reserves; ring OF 1uily
manned coast defenses. equipped with
the largest and most powerful guns yet
built. and a vast reserve of field guns.
machine guns. howitzers and big gun
ammunition. In addition. the ehoI
mously increased capacity OF prisass .
munition plants would give assurances
of ample supplies of small arms ana
field gun ammunition.
Neither war nor Navy Department
estimates for the coming year nave
is learned, however. that of the sew
enty-two- million dollar increase over
last years bill to be asked by the wa
Department s4S. o00.0 600 would go toWafo
reserve material and coast ga oe re Sc
works, the remaining $2S.oo0.0Oo to De
used in building up the new armies
regular and continental. Part OF tins
S46. 600, 009 would go into building anc
arming the new forts which VIII euafo
the entrance to Chesapeake pay
New Forts to Guard New York.
1t is proposed to spend more of the
money in building new forts to guard
New York, San Francisco and other
great harbors from attack. Gigantic
sixteen-inch rifles will be mounted in
all these defenses of the first class.
where enemy craft with modern guns
would be dangerous from great dis
lance.
Another expenditure contemplated is
for fitting the present twelve ana TOUR,
teen inch rifles with carriages that VIII
give them greater range Much ALREADY
has been accomplished in that way, ana
the work will be carried on until every
fort is moderniZed. No sixteen-incn
rifles will be installed in place OF
smaller guns. however. it is said. be-
cause to make all the changes in maya
zines, hoists. machinery and the like
would be more expensive and less salts
factory Inan TO Duiiu ne" SHiPAdSS-
ments for these huge weapons.
The Navy Department has still to
award contracts for the major portion
of the building program authorized by
the last Congress. contracts VII! De
marines, bigger. faster and more
powerful than aR submersible craft
ever designed. The Schiey. now build
ing will displace 1000 tons and make
twenty knots on the surface.
The new boats will dispiace 1900 tons
and make twenty-five knots. Next
month also contracts will be let for
two 80 000-ton superdreadnaughts, ships
which will carry a round dozen four
protection against submarine attack
the nature of which is being closely
guarded
Four Big Ships at Once.
OF the SOS, ooo. 600 increase to be asked
for the navy next year, the bulk would
go into four big ships. two superdread-
naughts and two superbattle cruisers
They would be the first of the sixteen
capital ships to be laid down within
five years. under the administration
program, the last of which would moi
he in commission until 1925.
The present program OF not more
than four big ships a year, it wa.
pointed out today. also gives oppor.
tunity to keep the designs up to date
from year to year. This Is one reason
Why IT is proposed to build only two
battle cruisers the first year and none
the second. Naval architecture is max.
ing such rapid strides with the grea,
navies of the world engaged in actual
hostilities that American designer,
hesitate TO recommend the construc.
ton of large number of ships at one
time. Each year sees radical altera
N hz IN "