The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-08

me very clear that it will be to the
 advantage of the country for the Con-
 gress to adopt a comprehensive plan
 for putting the navy upon a final foot ing of strength and efficiency and to press that plan to completion within the next five years. We have always looked to the navy of the country as
 our first and chief line of defense; we have always seen it to be our manifest course of prudence to be strong on the seas. Year by year we have been cre-
 ating navy which now ranks very high indeed among the navies of the maritime nations. We should now defi- nitely determine how we shall com plete what we have begun, and how soon.
 The programme to be laid before you contemplates the construction within five years of 10 battleships, six battle cruisers, 10 scout cruisers, 50 destroy CTS, 15 fleet submarines, S5 coast sub l marines, four gunboats, one hospital ship, two ammunition ships, two fuel oil ships and one repair ship. It IS proposed that of this number we shall the first year provide for the dDnstruc- ton of two batt1eships, two battle cruisers, three scout cruisers, 15 de- stroyers, five fleet submarines, 25 coast submarines, two gunboats and one hos- pital ship; the second year, two battle ships, one scout cruiser, 10 destroyers, four fleet submarines, Is coast subma- rines, one gunboat and one fuel oil ship the third year, two battleships, one battle cruiser, two scout cruisers, five destroyers, two fleet submarines and 15 coast submarines the fourth year two battleships, two battle | cruisers, two scout cruisers, 10 de- | submarines. one ammunition ship, ana one fuel oil ship; and the fifth year, two battleships, one battle cruiser, two scout cruisers, 10 destroyers, two fleet , submarines, 15 coast submarines, one gunboat, one ammunition ship and one repair ship.
 The Secretary of the Navy is asking also for the immediate addition to the personnel of the navy of 7500 sailors, 2500 apprentice seamen and 150O ma rines. This increase would be sufficient to care for the ships which are to be l completed within the fiscal year 1917 and also for the number of men which must be put in training to man the ships which will be completed early in 1918. It is also necessary that the num- I Der of midshipmen at the Naval acad- emy at Annapolis should be increased by at least 300 in order that the force of officers should he more rapidly added to; and authority is asked to appoint for engineering duties only.
  leges, and for service in the aviation corps a certain number of men taken from civil life.
 If this full programme should be carried out we should have built or building in 1921. according to the esti- mates of survival and standards of classification followed by the general board of the department. an effective navy consisting of 27 battleships, of the first line. six battle cruisers, 25 batt1eships of the second line. 10 ar mored cruisers. 13 scout cruisers. five first class cruisers, three second class cruisers, 10 third class cruisers. 10S de- strovers, IS fleet submarines 157 coast submarines. six monitors, 20 gunboa ts, four supply ships, IS fuel ships, four i tra nsnorts. three tenders to torpedo vessels eieht vessels of special types and two ammunition ships. This would be a navy fitted to our needs and worthv If or1r traditions.
 INDEPENDENCE ON SEAS 1 But armies and instruments of war are only part of what has to be con- sidered if we are to consider the supreme
 matter of national self-sufficiency and security in all it's aspects. There are I other great matters which will be thrust
 upon our attention whether we will or
 not. There is, for example, very press | ing question of trade and shipping in