Norwich bulletin., 1915-12-22
WHAT NAVY MUST BE IN THE FUTURE
Navy General Board Decides It Should Ultimately be Equal
 to the Most Powerful Maintained by Any Other Nation in the World, and That Rate of Development Year by Year Should be Such That the Standard Would be At
 tained Not Later Than 1925 z.

Washington, Dec. 21.-The American navy should be "equal to the. most powerful maintained by any other na-
 ton of the world. not later than 1925
 in the opinion of the navy general
 board headed by Admiral Dewey.
 The annual report of the board,
 made public tonight, discloses that this
 naval policy was formulated by the
 body jn July last in answer to the fol-
 lowing propositions propounded by
 Secretary Daniels when the admins
 tration reached it's decision to enter
 upon a campaign of national prepared ness:
 What the navy must be in the fu- ture in order to sand upon an equal ity with the most efficient and most practically serviceable."
 The boards conclusions follow:
 "The navy of the United States should ultimately be equal % the most powerful maintained by any other na- tion of the world. 1t should be grad ually 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 de- fined should be attained not later than 1925"
 At the same time the board present. ed a 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 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 secretary asked the board to prepare "a building program
 for the navy that will continue over a period of five years with an eXpen-
 allure of about $10O, 0CC, 900 each year
 only" The administration plan for the construction 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:
 Convincing Reasons from Present War
 The general board believes that the course of the present war in Europe affords convincing reasons for modify - ing the opinion which it has express
 cd for the past 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 tC | is the United States bordering upon two great oceans A navy strong enough only to defend out coast from actual invasion will not suffice. De- fense from invasion is not the only function Of the navy. It must protect | OuT Sted- BOIuP commerce ana QFiNf l that of the enemy from the sea. The | best way to accomplish all these ob- | jects is to find and defeat the hostile fleet or any Of its det4chments at g distance from our coast sufficiently great to prevent interruption of oul
 normal course of national life. The current war has shown that a navy | of the size recommended hy this board | in previous years can TO longer be | considered as adequate to the defen-
 sive needs of the United States. Oul | present navy is not sufficient to give | due weight to the diplomatic rcrnon- | strances of the United States in peace | nor to enforce it's policies in war" Construction in 1916.
 | The report lays stress upon tn, | boards proposal that seven of the six. | teen new ships, four Superdread | naughts and three battle cruisers, b,
 authorized in 1916. Secretary Daniels has recommended to congress, how ever, that only two dreadnaughts ant | two battle cruisers be authorized a | this time Under the boards plan tn l total expenditure for the five years in | cluding S7.000, 900 for the aviation ser
 vice and S11,00O. 900 for reserve ammu milton and material would be S499 | S78,090, the last apprCpria tions fol which would be made in 1922; the sec retary's recommendations call for i total expenditure of S502. .4S2214. tn, last appropriations shown being fo | 1921, and increases being made ove 1 the boards estimates for submarine,