Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1915-12-09
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN .
FOR GREATER NAVY
Always Looked to It as Our First and
Chisf Line Of Defenoe.

Always Looked to It as Our First and
Chief Line Of Defenae.
The program which will be laid be-
fore you by the secretary Of the navy
ris similarly conceived 1t involves only
a shortening Of the time within which
plans long matured shall be carried
out, but 1t does make definite and ex-
plicit a program which has heretofore
been only implicit, held In the minds OF
the committees on naval affairs and
disclosed. in the debates Of the two
houses. but nowhere formulated or for
mally adopted. It GEMS to- me very
clear that it will be to, the advantage
of the country for the congress, to adopt
a comprehensive plan for putting the
navy upon o final footing OF strength
and efficiency and to press that plan
to completion within the next five
years. We have always looked to the
navy Of the country as Jul first and
chief line of defense; we have always
seen it to be our manifest course Of
prudence to be strong on the seas.
Year by year we have been creating a
navy which now ranks very high in
deed among the nayies of the maritime
nations. We should now definitely de
termine how we shall complete what
we have begun and how soon.
The program to be laid before you
contemplates the construction within
FIVE years Of ten battleships, six battle
cruisers. ten scout cruisers, fifty de
stroyers, fifteen feet submarines,
eighty-ive coast submarines. four gun
boats, one hospital ship, two ammuni-
ton ships, two fuel oil ships and one
repair ship. 1t is proposed that of this
number we shall the first year provide
for the construction of two battleships.
two battle cruisers, three scout cruisers
fifteen destroyers, five feet submarines,
twenty-five coast submarines, two gun.
boats and n hospital ship; the second
year two ba~ttleships, scout cruiser
ten dastroyers, four feet submarines
fifteen coast submarines, n gunbOat
and one fuel oil ship; the third veal
two battleshlps, one battle cruiser, two
scout cruisers, five d%estroyers, two flee
submarines and fifteen coas subma
rines: the fourth year two battleships
two battle cruisers, two scout cruisers
ten d%estroyers, two fleeI submarines
fifteen coast submarines, one ammuni
ton ship and one fuel oil ship, AM
the fifth year two battleships, one aat
tie cruiser, two scout cruisers, ten de
struyers, two feet submarines fifteel
coast submarines, n gunboat, one am
nunition ship and IA repair ship.
The secretary of the navy is askin
also for the immediate addition to til
personnel of the navy of 1900 sailors
$500 apprentice seamen and 1900 ms
rfnes. This increase would be stuff
Client to care for the ships which ar
to be completed within the fiscal yea
1917 and also for the number OF me
which must be put in training to ma
the ships which win be complete
early In 1918. 1t Is also necessary ths
the number Of midshipmen at the N,
val academy at Annapolis should /
Increased by at least 800 In order ths
the force of o6icers should be MOI
rapidly added TO. and authority Is asl
ed 10 appoint. for engineering dntis
t only, approved graduates Of etlgInee
Ing colleges. aliI fsf service In the as
alton corps d certain number OF me
taken from ,,iyil life.
: III this fiIsgsSSc-sram should be carrie
ont We should have built or building
1921. according to the estimates OF So
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