The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-13
DANIELS AND WILSON URGE STUPENDOUS
 NAVAL PROGRAMME.
Plan COntemplates Doubling American Navy Within Five Years-Tremend-
 Ous Expense Involved

Washington, October 12.-Fifteen to twenty fighting ships of the dreadnausht and battle cruiser type with a proportion- ate number of seagoing submarines coast submarines. scout cruisers, destroyers and anxiliaries- es-enough to make a new Ameri- can fieet-is contemplated by Secretary Daniels for recommendation as a five year building programme for the navy. President Wilson and Secretary Daniels have discussed informally the navy S needs and are agreed that to be adequate ly prepared for defense the fleets strength must be almost doubled in the next five years. Another conference between the President and the Secretary will be held Friday at which the total number of ships to be asked for probably will be fixed.
 The five-year naval programme when completed would add in addition to dread naughts and battle cruisers. nearly 100 submarines, about 70 destroyers and sev- eral scout cruisers and fuel and hospital ships.
 An important part of the programme, too will be a proposal for a large in- crease in personnel Appropriation for at least 5000 additional men will be asked for the first year to make up present deficiencies, and an adequate number will be sought to man new ships built in the five-year period.
 Great Expense to Nation
 The total cost of the proposed pro- gramme for the first year is put at nearly $24s, COG, 900 or about $100.O00o00 increase over last year. Just what construction sbo has not been determined. As to the approximate number of ships the fleet should have at the end of five years. officers of the general board and Secretary Daniels are understood to be in thorough accord. Admiral Benson. chief of naval operations. is being consulted daily b ythe secretary. and within few to be ready for examination by President Wilson.
 It is considered probable that the con- struction programme for the first year will exceed that of succeeding years that urgent deficiencies may be filled promptly The general board has been consistently recommending four battleships year. but last year Congress provided only two, al- though the building of a third was made possible by the sale of the battleships Mississippi and Idaho to Greece. The previous year only one battleship was granted. The general boards original plan of handling fleet of 4S first-class battle ships by 1920 consequently has sufficed materially.
 Will Be Discussed in Message
 It is understood President Wilson in- tends to discuss the naval programme in his annual message, and to make of it an administration measure.
 The building programme last year pro- vided for 16 submarines, so that the total of the undersea craft, built and building now is TO-, Although effective means of combating undersea warfare apparently have been found in Europe, it is the pur- pose of the navy department to recom- mend at least 30 subma rines for next year In the next four years, however, an av- craze of 16 submarines year. few ot which would be fleet submarines. would be maintained. That would bring the total to about 170 in five years It is not known what the plans of the navy are for the organization of the new fleet, but the general belief in naval quar- ters Is that the plan of having a fleet ir the Pacific will figure materially in the new programme.