The Washington herald., 1915-12-26
The Herald's Army and Navy Department
Latest and Most Complete News Service and Personnel Published
in WASHINGTON.
BY Z. b. JOHNS.

The inability OF the Navy Department
| to secure the construction at private
| yards OF the battleships authorized b!
the last naval appropriation bill will
postpone the completion Of the two ship
| about a year. II contracts had been lie
| to private concerns at the usual tim
| the ships would now be In the process
| OF construction, but under the plans 70
building them at the government yard
| In New York and Mare Island the keel
will not be laid until August or Septem
| Der. II there should happen to be an!
delay In securing material for the en-
largement OF the Mare Island yards tn
keel Of the ship to be built there will
not be laid until late next fall.
Part Of this delay was due to the post
| ponement by the Secretary OF the Nav!
OF taking up the plans for the new
| ships until ne had received more definit,
| reports from the European var. Tn,
| larger part of the delay, however. re
suits from a disagreement with the pri
vate concerns over the price for ths
battleships. This blame cannot be lait
| upon the Secretary. as the bids of tn,
private ship yards were not within tn,
authorized appropriation.
The prospects for the prompt com.
pletion of next years program are fai
from satisfactory. With the general in.
crease In army and navy appropriation.
the opposition to raising the limit oi
cost for bsttleships will be very strone
in Congress during the approaching ses.
sion. Congress will question very closely
the statement of the private ship build
ing concerns that there has been an In
crease Of so per cent In the price OF
steel. 1t is claimed that the bids on
material for the Navy Department dc
not show this increase.
II Congress should follow the recon-
mendations of the administration and
authorize two battleships and two bat
tie cruisers IL is difficult to see how
they can be completed without a year
delay. In the event that 1t Is decided
to build all Of them at government yards
il would be necessary to enlarge the
Philadelphia and Norfolk plants. This
would only provide for half OF the pro-
gram and that at considerable delay oc-
casioned by the work that must he done
on the yards before the keels of the new
ships are laid. Where the other two
ships will be built II the private con-
Germs do not lower their bids or Con-
gress does not increase the limit Of cost
is difficult to see.
1t lie becoming apparent that a bond
issue will be necessary II funds are Sc
cured for an adequate program Of ma
tionaI defense. There is such bitter op-
position to special direct taxes that the
administration will be hard pressed to
secure sufficient revenue from this
source. Incidently. the proposed special
taxes will be used by the opponents Of
preparedness to defeat any material In
crease in army and navy appropriations.
The Democrats are insisting that the
present shortage In the revenues of the
government Is due TO the European war.
while the Republicans argue that II is
the Underwood tariff law. Taking either
view Of the situation. It is apparent that
an uncertain and extraordinary "ondi-
tion of affairs exists.
large proportion OF the appropria tons
included in the administrations army
and navy program is for reserve ma
terial. The Secretary of Wars recon-
mendations include Sl04. .000. 900 for reserve
ammunition and 100000 for coast de-
fenses. All of this reserve material and
most of the coast defense work Is for
the future and the expenses of II could
be consistently extended out through a
term OF years by a bond issue.
The cases Of two midshipmen who
are charged with drinking intoxicating
liquors and with obtaining liquor unlaw.
fully, are now in the hands OF the Presi-
dent. According to the report which has
been transmitted through the Secretary
Of War. the midshipmen in question were
guilty Of a number Of breaches of dis
cipline.
II appears that the laws Of Maryland
class midshipmen as minors. and that the
colored man who secured the liquor is
liable to prosecution. The civil authori.
ties at Annapolis are investigating the
case and will prosecute the man who
purchased the liquor, II he can be found.
The offense of the midshipmen Is ag-
gravated by the fact that when they re-
turned from their lark they climbed up
on the Bancroft Hall and proceeded to
the neighborhood. When they
were called by the officer they ran away.
The Secretary refused to give out theii
names for publication. In this connec
lion he stated that he does not believe he
would make public the names Of any OF
the midshipmen who were dismissed
from the Academy. While he will insist
upon the enforcement Of the regulations
he does not believe that the names OF the
guilty midshipmen should be published
in the papers.
It has become apparent that the admin.
ledueTS very Soh
,erned at the opposition to Its military
program that is developing in Congress.
90 far It has not found an enthusiastic
champion for its Continental army prof.
,ct Despite the protestatfons Of the
Secretary to the contrary there Is an
in Congress that the Con-
army will weaken. IL not entirely
destroy. the National Guard. There Is
,o doubt that the organized militia |
Yields a powerful influence in Congress |
md this force must be reckoned with
n putting through any military pro-
yram.
Very wisely the National Guard Asso-
.iation is not taking any active part in |
he opposition to the Continental army |
rhe Executive Committee Of the National
juard Association has taken the posi-
ion that Congress should pass something |
Ike the Chamberlain pay bill. Officers
" the National Guard who have been
It washinston have expressed the be-
Mf that there should be an increased