The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-12-13

Recently in navy circles tho nendr
,uIil may be said to have swung away
, LIN an 9verlarge undersea program
WIN emphasis again placed upon the
dreadnaught. wv
Year at n Time Only.
My first thought was TO present n
pan Tor tcn-year period, but the ar
surhcnt against determining upon a
/ program for longer term than f,ve
years seemed conclusive, for in this
uay OF invention and DEVELOPMENT n
would hardly be safe to fix upo ncer-
t.in types OF ships for n long form
VI years. We know what other coun-
-r.es nave built and are building. and
we know the needs which constant
practice and maneuvers of the last
WE'VE months by our own fleets have
taught us. Therefore the beet or-
pert Judgment approves the numoer
ana tvpes OF ships whfcn are recon-
mended. II there are those who bo-
iieVe even within these Ave years
chahes In types OF shins or in enuin-
.aent or armament will be so marked
ny 10 make the carryin out of the rec
concentrations deny the enefit of the
new discoveries. the complete answer
Is thls: Congress is aswed to make
any appropriations only for year al
time, In accordance with custom
ANY succeeding Congress will make
Such alterations as experience NAV
prove desirable. without reduction
OF the strength of the feet to be con-
structed upon the plan proposed.
secretary Daniels says his decision
10 recommend continuing building
policy was reached after much re-
heclion. conference with able experts
Of the navy and patriotic men in civil
walks of life" He lays stress on the
/ lact that he Is the first secretary NJ
the navy TO recommend such course
although the general board in 1905
urged that n definite program no
mapped out which would lead to the
establishment OF fleet of forty-eipb,
battleships by 1919. or the Ave wear
program recommended the secretary
says:
II hope Congress will indorse II
by so large vote of its members as
to make its continuance by Congress
es TO come"
Navy Budget Total.
The full total OF the navy budpot
for the year is $217.652. all but
l32.2S0.047 OF which will 20 Tor
ships now under construction or 10
be authorized. The remainder con-
templates the increased personneT
and general running expenses of the
navy aHoat and ashore.
In comparison with the enormous
expenditures abroad" the secretary
writes. the large expenditure is nee
essary il our fleet is to be able to
enforce American policies The les
son of the European war warns us
, that II Is better to spend money in
times OF peace for preparation than
to run the risk. however remote. OF
sorely wanting ships and munitions
II suddenly needed"
The secretary comments at lenp.'
on the need of battle cruisers of the
proposed thirty-nve knot type. The
events OF the European war are re-
counted to show the part these craft
have played and the reasons for In
Guiding six of them in the building
program. As 10 the battleships OF the
future, the secretary says that the
suggested vessels are of much great
er displacement and heavier arma-
ment than anything heretofore con-
templated for any army. The depart
ment Is now discussing plans for ships
OF $4,000 tons and armed with
siXteen-inch or perhaps seventeen
inch guns The secretary saws the
plan has not yet been approved, but
his estimates are based on ships TO
cost SlS,OO0.O00 each. which would
allow for the increased size.
Another Radical Step.
Secretary Daniels takes another
radical step in his report in urging
that the present system OF promotion
OF officers by seniority be abandoned
IN favor OF promotion by selection. He
goes at length into the results Of the
seniority system to find that II pro-
duces "stagnation in the lower
grades, arrival at command rank late
IN life and a leeting passage through
! command and flag grades. combined
with absolute lack or professional In
( centive throughout all grades" OFF,
GERS now hold the grade OF captain
for an average of two years, he says,
and are rear-admirals for only six
months before retirement for age ov-
ertakes them. About 900 officers,
he states must pass through the
grades OF captain and rear admiral
in the next forty years under the
present plan.
us selection by merit practlca BILE
under our existing form of govern
Q - a