The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1915-12-07
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
FOR GREATER NAVY,
Always Looked to 1t as Our First and
Chief Line of Defense.

The program which will be laid be,
fore you by the secretary of the navy
is similarly conceived. 1t involves only
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. bat nowhere formulated or for
mally adopted. 1t seems 10 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 a final footing of strength
and efficiency and to press that plan
10 completion within the next five
years We have always looked to the
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
navy which now ranks very high in
deed among the navies 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-fiye coast submarines, four gun
hnGui3nI CT fVr-a am
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 one hospital ship: the second
year two battleships. one scout cruiser,
ten destroyers, four fleet submarines.
fifteen coast submarines. one gunboat
and one fuel oil ship; the third year
two battleships. one battle cruiser, two
scout cruisers. five destroyers, two feet
submarines and fifteen coast subma
rines; the fourth year two battleships.
two battle cruisers, two scout cruisers.
ten destroyers. two fieer submarines.
fifteen coast submarines, one ammuni
ton ship and one fuel oil ship. and
the 9th year two hattleships. one bat
tie cruiser, two scout cruisers. ten de
stroyers. two feet submarines. fifteen
coast submarines, one gunboat. one am
uiuntion ship and one repair ship.
The secretary of the navy IS asking
also for the immediate addition to the
personnel Of the navy Of 1900 sailors
800 apprentice seamen and 1000 ma
rines. This increase would be SUN
Gent 10 care for the ships which are
10 he completed within the fiscal year
1911 and also for the number of men
which must be put in training to man
the ships which viii be completed
early I'm i0lS Ii Is also necessary that
the number OF midshipmen at the M
sal academy az Annapolis should be
Increased BIZ m least 800 In order that
the force Of officers should be more
rapidly added "a. and authority Is asl-
"a - appoint for engineering duties
only approved graduates ~ engineer
ing colleges. aud for service in the nyi
rfioa corps Ia certain number ~ men
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