The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-12-29
NAVY SECOND TO
NONE IS THE AIM
an EXPENSE OF s5O0,0O0,000
In Five Years On New Con
struction Only. Is What
Is Asked.
GIVES BUILDING PROGRAMME

Washington, Dec. 24.-The Amer
ican navy should be equal to tn,
most powerful maintained by an,
other nation Of the world not late
than 1925 is the opinion of the Nav,
General Board, headed by Admira
Dewey.
The annual report of the board
made public here, discloses that this
naval policy was formulated by the
body in July last in answer to the
following propositions propounded
by Secretary Daniels when the Ad.
ministration reached its decision to
enter upon a campaign of national
preparedness:
What the navy must be in the
future in order to stand upon an
equality with the most efficient and
most practically serviceable."
The boards conclusions follow:
''The navy of the United States
should ultimately be equal to the
most powerful maintained by any
other nation of the world. 1t should
be gradually increased to this point
by such a rate of development year
by year as may be permitted by the
facilities of the country, but the
limit above defined should be attain
ed not later than 1926"
AT the same time the board pre-
scented building program for 1917
in compliance with the Secretary's
request for "a program formulated
in the most definite terms, planned
for a consistent and progressive de-
velopment of this great defensive
arm of the nation"
Details of the boards reply are
not revealed, as subsequently in Oc-
tober of this year, the Secretary ask
ed the board to prepare "a building
program for the navy that will con-
tinue over period of five years
with an expenditure of about $780,
100000 each year for five years on
new construction only" The Ad-
ministration plan for the construc-
ton of sixteen capital ships within
i've 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 Eu-
rope affords convincing reasons for
modifying the opinion which it has
expressed for the past eleven years
as to the proper size of the navy. A
navy in firm control of the seas from
the outbreak of war is the prime es-
sential to the defense of a country |
situated as is the United States, Dor
dering upon two great oceans. A
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 ac-
all these objects is to find
and defeat the hostile fleet or any of
It's detachments at a distance from
our coast sufficient to prevent inter-
ruption of our normal course of ma
tonal life. The current war has
shown that a navy of the size recon-
mended by this board in previous
years can no 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 circumstances of
The United States in peace nor to en-
force its policies in war"
The report lays stress upon the
boards proposal that seven of the
sixteen new ships, four super-dread-
and three battle cruisers.
De authorized in 1916. Secretary
Daniels has recommended to Con- ,
sress, however, that only two dread ,
loughts and two battle cruisers be ,