Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1915-12-24
sy Rae. and init News serylee.

~ rae. anu INIT Ne"o SSrNice.
Washington, Dec. 21:-"The Navy
of the United States should ultimately
be equal to the most powerful main,
tanned by any other nation of the
world" is the opinion of the General
Board. whose annual report. signed by
Admiral George Dewey. was made pub
lie today.
This declaration was made by the
General Board in response to a re
quest by Secretary Daniels for an opin
ion las TO what the navy must be in
the future in order to stand upon an
equality with the most efficient and
most practically serviceable." The
General Board, moreover, declares
that the United States should be the
peer OF any naval power within ter
years by such a rate Of development
year by year as may be permitted by
the facilities of the country, but the
limit defined should be attained moi
later than 1925"
The General Board expresses renew
ed faith in the battleship as against
the submarine for the first line of de
Tense. The battleship is still the
principal reliance of navies, as it has
been in the past" says the report
which points out that spectacular at
tacks by submarines have been given
undue Importance by many observers
of the war i'll Europe.
las in the case of submarines" the
report continues so in the case OF
battle cruisers, the particular course
of the present war does not justify the
prevalent exaggerated idea of their
importance"
The General Board therefore in its
recommendations to Secretary Daniels
for a continuous building program GOV.
ering the next five years advocates the
construction OF ten dreadnaughts and
six battle cruisers. Mr.. Daniels re-
cent recommendations of Congress
embrace the same number of dread.
naughts, battle cruisers, scouts and
destroyers as the Boards report.
The General Board, however, rec
ommends that work be commenced
Immediately upon the construction of
four battlcships and three battle CRUZ
sers. On ccoun of cramped con-
ditions in ~shipyards throughout the
country. Secretary Daniels decided
that the first years program should
include only TWO ~battleships and two
cruisers. Action to be taken on the
ten veal program has yet to be de-
termincd.
However, Mr.. Daniels and his Gen.
cral Board are far from accord as TO
the number of submarines to be in
Guided in the five year program. Mr.
Daniels asked for fifteen fleet sub.
for only nine. The same disparity
ccurr in the recommendations of
Daniels and his naval board as to
coast submarines. Daniels asking
Congress for IS while the Dewey
board thinks fifty eight enough.
For reserve ammunition, Secretary
Daniels recommends an appropriation
of $4,000 900 more than twice the
S11, 000, 900 thought sufficient by the
General Board. AS to total expendi-
lures for the five year programs, the
estimates are not far apart. Mr.. Dan
iels' being about $500. 100000 as a =
gainst the General Boards estimate of
$500, GOO, 900.
Taking up the lessons of the Euro
pean war, the report says:
The General Board believes that
the course of the present wal in Eur
Ope affords convincing reasons for
modifying the opinion which it has cX-
pressed for the past eleven years as
10 the proper size of the navy. 4 ma
Wy in firm control of the G a from
the outbreak of war is the prime cs-
sential 10 the defense of a country
dering upon two great oceans, a navy
strong enough only to defend u
coasts from actual invasion will not
suffice. Defense from invasions is not
the only function of the navy. 1t must
protect II seaborne m and
drive that of the enemy from the sea.
The best way to accomplish all of
these objects is to find and defeat the
hostile fleet or any of its attachments
at a distance from our coast sufficient
ly great to prevent interruption of our
normal course of national life.