East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-07-28
NAVAL PLANS NOW
RECEIVING CLOSE
STUDY BY DANIELS
QUESTION or NEW SHIPS FOR
FLEET PROVES CONTPLICAT-
ED PROBLEM.
As Many as Half Dozen New Dread
naughts Suggested-Can Battleships
Be Made Submarine PrOOf?--Re-
ports Being Received from Euro.
pean War.
BY BOND P. GEDDES.

WASHINGTON, July 2S.-Two,
three, four or a half dozen battle
ships? This is the question being
threshed out by Secretary Of the Navy
Daniels and two score of aides. here
and abroad. Daniels, the general
board and other officials are today
tuslly working on the naval building
program to be recommended to con-
gress next December. They have
three months to decide the question
of how many new dreadnaughts Uncle
Sam shall order built next year 1t
promises to be one of the most de-
bated questions before the new con-
gress.
On Secretary Daniels desk today
are stacks of documents, masses of
statistics and innumerable reports Of
foreign and U. S. naval officials, bear
ing on the battleship building pro-
gram.
Every effort to keep secret the fl
nal decision reached will be made.
Formal announcement will not be
made until after the navy estimates
have been submitted to President Will
son in october. 1t is probable that
they will not be announced then, be-
ing deferred until presented to con-
gress.
There are indications at present Of
most determined effort to have Sec
retary Daniels and the general board,
the strategy experts, at whose head is
Admiral Dewey, agree unanimously
on a building program. The admins
tration wishes to go to congress
united on recommendations for ap-
propriations to increase the navy
Last year the general board recom-
mended construction of four battle
-dreadnaughts. Because of the
treasurys condition, Daniels stood
cut for only two.
Financial conditions will play 4
great part in congress action, as well
as that of the department, regarding
proposed new dreadnaughts. The
department also is prepared for the
opposition of the Little Navy conin-
gent in congress as a result OF the
tremendous destruction to battleshlps
wrought by submarines in the Euro
pean war.
So far all naval experts are con-
yineed that the submarine develop
ment has not put the big battleships
into the discard as engines Of destrue-
tlon. Secretary Daniels recently said
dreadnaughts are still the backbone
of the navy. With proper auxiliaries
and submarine defensive flotilias'
navy experts insist that the bulwarK
Of the navy is yet the big ship.
1t is regarded certain that at least
two new battleships will be urged for
construction by Secretary Daniels
With the popular agitation on the
preparedness question, and its GER
Is in discussion at length in congress-
many observers of things maritime
here believe the two-new-ships pro-
gram will be enlarged this year a
vigorous fight is also certain from
those opposing militarism, and one OF
the most exciting combats of the year
on the navy building program is now
considered a foregone conclusion.
In the process of preparing his esu-
n ates, Secretary Daniels is receiving
reports from naval attaches at Am
nrican embassies and legations
abroad. and also a corps of naval Oh
ficiaIs assigned as observers among
the European belligerents. The EN-
cheney of the dreadnaught versus the
submarine mines and smaller vessels
Is the subject of highly scientific II
| Elimination.
Means to immunize the larger ves'
sells from the thrusts of the under
seas craft are also being studied by
the naval experts Secretary Daniels
is optimistic that Yankee genius may
solve the question of curbing the SUB
marine and extend the already enof'
nous fighting power of the dread
naught. 1t is believed, however, ina
II some method coping successfully
with the submarine is found by th'
United states navy It will be KEEP
secret except in the most eonhden
tial quarters.
TS,ayyler Is Torpedocd.