The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-10-20
l86 SHIPS, COSTING HALF BILLION, TO BE ADDED
 TO THE AMERICAN NAVY

i Washington, Oct. 20-Secretary Dan- ieIs last night annouIced the details fthe navy, It embraces the, expendi- I Iure of $502, ,482 .214 during the next five fyears for construction of new vessels, aviation, and reserve of munitions. As this will be in addition to the annual Appropriation of more than $100, 900, 900 for the upkeep of the navy, aggregat- ing more than $500, ,000, 900 in the next five years, exclusive of the new con- I struction, it is apparent that the plans iof the adrninistra ton call for an ex- I penditure of more than $1, 900, 0O0, 900 on the navy during the next five years, or an average of more than $200, ,00e, 900 for each annual naval appropriation 1 bill.
 President Wilson will urge Congress
 to adopt the hve-year program of na- val increase recommended by Secre- tary Daniels. The new units total 1855
 ships.
 The Five Year Grand Total The amount to be spent for con-
 struction of these new vessels during
 she fiscal years 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920. and
 1921 will be $42,e64,087. In addition 1t will be necessary to spend during the
 next two years $48, ,518, ,127 for the com pletion of new naval units authorized in the last two years, and which are now either under construction or just about to be started The grand total to be spent on the increase of the navy in the next five years will be fol- lows:
 For 1s5 new ships, $422. .ss4. .os. For continuing ships all
 ready authorized, 4s,518, ,121 For aviation, 5000, GOO For reserve supply of muni
 tions. 25, ,o00, GOO V
 Total for increase, s5o2. 4s2a14 For upkeep of the navy, 515,ocO, 600
 Total for the navy for live
 years, s1. .017, ,4s2, ,2d4
 Of this grand total the official estf- mates for the navy, approved by the President call for the appropriation of $21I652,173 s32 at the coming session of Congress This would be an in crease of $6T.990, ,s08.4A, over last year appropriations, which amounted to $149,661,86 88. Under this recona- mendation the amount to be appropri ated at the coming Congress session for new naval construction, incuding 8.000, 000for increasing the reserve of munitions and $2, 100000 for aviation, is $95,372,127, of which $57,OO3, ,000 isffor new construction which will be recommended during the coming Con- grsss, and $28, ,369,127 fir continuing the program of new. constr1ction of which was authorized by the Sixty third Congress authorized the con- struction of five batt1eships tweIvea sdestrOyers, one fuel ship and twenty six submarines, three of which are1 to be of going type and twenty three of the coast defense type.
 In announcing the program tonight Secretary Daniels saids
 Cost o6 Each Type of Ship
 ssThe Bureau of Construction and
 
 and protection of the new battleships, estimates that each dreadnought wiIls Cost. including arn1or and armament, $1s,800.00O. A portion of this in crease may also be attributed to the greater cost of fnateria1s which are higher than formerly, and, perhaps, abnorma1ly high owing to the great demand caused by the war in Europe. It may be that these prices wt1l<be re- duced- If so, the CongressNwiI have again, the demand for materials en- tering into the construction of ves- seIs may continue to be as great as or greater than at present, so that the estimates will not be too high.
 sI have followed the estimates of the Bureau of Construction and Re pair. The total cost of each of the other type of vessels recommended is as follows: Battle cruiser, SIT, 800, ,0z0; scout cruiser s, 5,00o, 900; destroyer, $1, 36o, 900; fleet submarine $1,5O0s 900; coast submarine, $650.OoO: gun boat, $76O, 900; hospital ship, $2,450,- o00s fuel ship. $1,355s250s repair ship, $2. .0oO, 900.
 Tn addition to the $8,ooo .o0p to in crease the reserve of munitions. I have recommended in the regular appro- priations ah increase of $1,178, ,9SO for ordnance. in which have included $430. .0o0 for torpedo Idefense nets for batt1eships; and I have recommended also an increase of $286so0O for build ings for the storage of guns and nlnf- l tfons. The reserve on hand now fully l occupies the present storage facilities, l and it has been found necessary to have this increased space for storage to take care of the additional muni- I tions which T have recommended.
 Encouraging the Naval Militia
 tsIn addition to the regular new con- | strnction, I am asking for a separate | appro prfation of $250,000 for the pur- chase and repair of ships for the Naval | Militia of Illinois and Minnesota In both of these States the Naval Militia i is well organized, and it's efficiency de- pepds in each State upon securing a proper ship for their cruising and After consultation with with the Governors and officers of the E Naval Militia in these States, I have E made recon Tnendations which it is be- Iieved will give these two States ships of a suitable character. have in prospect the larger utilization of the older class of battleships for the Naval F Militia orga nizauons of the States on the seacoast-
 have also recommended an in- crease in the appropriation forsnaval militia, as a whole of $6o,73733. The naval militia has made great strides this year, and it is the policy of the department to do everything in it's power to increase the efficiency of the ll officers and men therein enrolled who would make an excellent reserve inI time of need 4i
 .In order to provide a sufficient 1umber of men to man the large number of ships of the navy which $ will be commissioned in the near sfu- .1lr-c have racnraa sar,El,..d Le