The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1915-12-31
FOR NAVY EQUAL
TO THAT OF ANY
General Board Would Have U. S.
Take This as Goal.
DEFEND COAST NOT ENOUGH
Fleet Sufficient To Drive Commerce
OF Any Enemy From the Sea
Declared Necessary-Les-
son Drawn From War.

Washington.-T American Navy
should be equal to the most powerful
maintained by any other nation of the
world" not later than 1926, in the opin-
ion OF the Navy General Board, headed
by Admiral Dewey.
The annual report of the board, just
made public, 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 Administration ar
rived at 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 follows:
1.-THE Navy of the United States
should ultimately be equal to the most
powerful maintained by any other ma
ton of the world. 1t should be gradu-
ally 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 attained not later than
1926"
The board again developed its idea
of the place the American Navy should
hold in the world in the following
language: @
1.-THE General Board believes that
the course of the present war in Eu-
rope affords convincing reasons for
modifying the opinion which it has ex-
pressed for the last II years as to the
proper size of the navy. A navy in
firm control of the seas from the out
break of war is the prime essential to
the defense of a country situated as is
the United States, bordering 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 commerce 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 attachments at distance from our
coast sufficiently great to prevent in
terruption of our normal course Of ma
tional life. The current war has
shown that navy of the size recon-
mended by this board in previous years
can no longer be considered as ade-
quate to the defense needs of the
United States. Our present navy is
not sufficient to give due weight to the
diplomatic "Reminiscences of the
United States in peace nor to enforce
its policies in war;"
The report lays stress upon the
boards proposal that 2 of the 16 new
ships, superdreadnaughts and bat
tie cruisers, be authorized in 1916. Sec
rotary Daniels has recommended to
Congress, however, that only two
dreadnaughts and two battle cruisers
be authorized at this time. Under the
boards plan the total expenditure for
the five years, including $7,O0O,OOO for
the aviation service and $11, 100000 for
reserve ammunition and material.
would be $499, 876, 900, the last appro-
priations for which would be made in
1922; the Secretary's recommendations
call for total expenditure of $780,
4S2,214, the last appropriations shown
being for 1921, and increases being
made over the boards estimates for
submarines and reserve ammunition.
The board program contemplates the
building of 13 feet auxiliaries, while
the Secretary recommends only six
The board reviews the course of the
European war, so far as it involved
naval actions, to reach this conclu-
sion:
"As to types of ships, the battleship
is still the principal reliance of navies.
as it has been in the past"