The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1915-08-13

ed in Washington is session during the entire summer. Usu-
ally it holds its summer sessions in Newport. This summer,
with Admiral Badger, as chairman of the executive commit
tee, presiding, the board is holding daily sessions, giving a
more careful and comprehensive study to matters affecting
the navy than has heretofore been given. The board has had
access to the reports made by our naval attaches and special
representatives in Europe, and has made a careful study to
determine exactly what has been learned from the great war
that may be applied in the increase of the navy that the Pres
ident will recommend to Congress in the fall. Manifestly, while
the board is thus engaged and while all the beaureaus are en-
ployed in experiments Of transcending Importance, l cannot
make any public statement as to the programme that will be
presented later.
BY direction of the President, the experts of the navy
will present for consideration a plan for the increase and
STRENGTHENING of the navy upon the most modern lines of de-
velopment. Shortly after the return of the President, in fact,
as soon as l have received the views of the General Board, the
whole matter of naval expansion will be discussed with the
President.
The three things the public is thinking most about and
to which, of course, the experts are giving most of their at
tention, are:
First. The necessity for speed is new ships. Heretofore
it has been the policy Of our naval statesmen to put chief en-
phasis upon armor and guns, and in making our navy invuI-
nerable along these lines we had to sacrifice speed. It is the
consensus of opinion among experts that whatever else may
be embraced in the new naval programme, it is of the high
est Importance that in our new plans we shall include cruisers.
scouts or other types Of fast ships in which speed will be sac
rifced to no other consideration.
Second. Naval experts agree with the public in the mat
ter of submarines. Their Importance is fully realized. The
last Congress authorized the construction Of ~twenty-six, more
than twice as many as the precious Congress authorized, and
three of them will be the first ~submersibles in the world de-
signed to accompany the battle fleet on the high sea. One of
these, the Schly, which we are now building, is the biggest
submarine, so far as wee know, ever contracted for by any
Government, and plans are in the making for the construct
ion of the two other seagoing submarines which will give them
a speed equal to or greater than the Schly and the same or
larger displacement. We are building the first submarine ever
built by our Government at the navy yard at Portsmouth, N.
H., and will probably build other submarines at other Gov
eminent navy yards.
The department is greatly interested in ~perfecting bat
teres and motors for submarines. This year l have given an
order to Mr.. Edison for batteries, one to go into the subma-
rne now building at Portsmouth, the other into an older boat.
Mr.. Edison believes the battery he is now building will obvi-
ate most of the troubles we have had with batteries in the
past. Other makers of batteries are also improving theirs,
and we hope that in the new submarines we will be able to in
stall batteries as nearly perfect as human ingenuity can make
them. The chic. trouble all nations have had with submarines
has been to get the right sort Of motor, and the genius of the
world is working to produce it. l have no doubt Congress will
authorize a much larger number of submarines, in fact, as
many as the capacity of contractors and navy yards can build
during the next two years. f..
Third. This war has taught us as we never knew before
the value of air craft. We are far behind in the construction
of aerOpanes, h%ydroplanes and other craft that in the Euro
pean war have prevented surprises. AS scouts, air craft are
indispensable. Who can put any limit upon what they NAV
do in the future? The last Congress showed great willingness
to take a forward step by creating a special fund and approv-
ing my action in establishing an aviation station and school.
utilizing the magnificent navy yard at Pensacola. which has
been abandoned as a navy yard.
AS many officers have been detailed for this work DC yo
have machines for their instruction, and we are placinv p
ders for as many machines of the type approved bv M w.
perts as can be purchased in America. Before the war in En-
rope began l had placed an order for two machines N in
France and one in Germany, but of course we have not been
able to obtain them.
AS to the recommendations which will be made for the
strengthening OF the navy in other ways. l do not feel that
this is the time to speak. a