The Hawaiian gazette., 1915-12-28
RODERICK o. MATHESON, EDITOR
A Broad PROGRAM
THE program recommended by

should satisfy the most ardent advocate of pre-
paredness. The recommendation is that the Am
erican navy should equal the most powerful
maintained by any other nation of the world ~
which, considering the British navy, is a whole
sale order.
The board was asked to answer the following
proposition, submitted by Secretary Daniels:
what the Navy must be in the future in order
to stand upon equality with the most efficient
and most practically serviceable'
The boards conclusions said:
The Navy of the United States should uti-
mateIy be equal to the most powerful maintained
bv any other nation of the world. 1t should be
gradually increased to this point by such rate
.! development year by year, as may be permitted
by The facilities of the country, but the limit above
defined should be attained not later then 1925"
At the same time the board presented a build
ing program for 1917 in compliance with the Sec
retarys request for "a program formulated in the
most definite terms, planned for a consistent and
progressive development of this great defensive
arm Of the nation"
Details of the boards reply are not revealed, as
subsequently in October of this year. the secre-
tary asked the board to prepare "a building pro-
gram for the Navy that will continue over period
of FIVE years with an expenditure of about $780,
100000 each year for FIVE years new construc-
struction of sixteen capital ships within five years
is founded on the boards answer.
AT the same time the board again developed its
idea of the place the American navy should hold
in the world in the following language:
THE general board believes that the course of
the present war in Europe affords convincing
reasons for modifying the opinion which it has
expressed for the past eleven years to the
proper size of the Navy. A navy in firm control
Of the seas from the outbreak of war is the prime
essential to the defense of country situated as
Is the United States bordering upon two great
oceans navy strong enough only to defend
our coast from actual invasion will not suffice.
Defense from invasion is not the only function Of
the Navy 1t must protect our sea-borne COM
merce and drive that of the enemy from the sea.
The best way to accomplish all these objects is to
find and defeat the hostile feet or any of its de-
tachments at distance from coast sufficiently
great to prevent interruption of normal course
OF national life. The current war has shown that
a navy of the size recommended by this board in
PREVIOUS years longer be considered as
adequate to the defensive needs of the United
States. Our present Navy is not sufficient to give
due weight to the diplomatic demonstrates of the
United States in peace nor to enforce its policies
in war;
The report lays stress upon the boards proposal
dreadnoughts and three battle cruisers, be author
lied in 1916. Secretary Daniels has recommend
ed to congress however, that OILY two dread
nOughts and two battle cruisers be authorized at
this time Under the boards plan the total
penditure for the five years including 100000
for the aviation service and $l 100000 for reserve
ammunition and material would be 500 $4,000
the last appropriations for which would be made
in 1922; the secretary's recommendations call
for total expenditure of $500, 49,, PA, the last
appropriations shown being for 1921 and in
creases being made over the boards estimates for
submarines and reserve ammunition. The board
program cOntemplaes the building of thirteen
feet auxiliaries while the secretary recommends
only six.
The board highly commends the proposal to
establish continuing building policy for the navy,
saying it will stabaze the warshp building in
dustry in the country and tend to reduce contract
prices for new ships.
10 The board reviews the course of the European
war so far it involved naval actions, to reach
this conclusion:
"As to types of ships, the batteshp is still the
principal reliance Of navies as it has been in the
past"
Because of the great naval superiority of the
entente allies the report says, their control of the
seas has never been seriously challenged and
they have secured held the objective of all naval
effort" Naval warfare has been confined by
reason of this superiority, it states, to "a double
series of minor Incidents" In the first group it
places German commerce raiders (which have
finally been destroyed or driven from the seas by
systematic pursuit" and in the secu4Sl, tn ac-
tiVities OF German submarines, first against allied
warships, where the high score obtained" i, as
serted to have been due to surprise attack, not to
Inherent combatant superiority" and second
against commercial vessels of the allies. OF this