Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1915-12-10

SUlCHOI6 uultS VI lue Ec6u1sAA ANY,
Their period of annual training would
not necessarily exceed two months In
the year.
The president says 1t is up to the
patriotic young men Of the country to
respond to this call.
Comprehensive PLAN
FOR GREATER NAVY.
Always Looked to It az Our First and
Chief Line Of Defense.
The program which will: be laid be-
fore you by the secretary Of the navy
Is similarly conceived. 1t involves only
shortening of the time within which
plans long matured shall be carried
out. but it does make definite and ex"
plicit a program which has heretofore
been only implicit, held in the minds OF
the committees on naval affairs and
disclosed in the debates Of the two
houses, but nowhere formulated or for
mally adopted. 1t seems to me very
clear that it will be to the advantage
Of the country for the congress to adopt
a comprehensive plan for putting the
navy upon a final footing 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 creating a
navy which now ranks very high In
deed among the navics Of the maritime
nations. We should now definitely de-
termine how We shall complete what
we have begun and how soon.
The program to he laid before you
contemplates the construction within
five years Of ten battleships, six battle
cruisers. ten scout cruisers, fifty de-
stroyers, fifteen feet submarines.
eighty-five coast submarines, four gun
boats. one hospital ship. two anlm::ni
ton ships. two fuel oil ships anu one
repair ship. 1t is proposed that Of this
number we shall the first year provide
for the construction Of two battleships.
two battle cruisers. three scout cruisers.
! fifteen destroyers, five feet submarines.
twenty-five coast submarines, two gun
boats and one hospital ship; the second
year two battleships, one scout cruiser.
ten destrOyers. four fleet submarines.
fifteen coast submarines. one gunboat
and one fuel oil ship; the third year
two battleships. one battle cruiser. two
scout cruisers. five destroyers, two fleet
submarines and fifteen coast subma.
rines; the fourth year two battleships,
two battle cruisers, two scout cruisers.
ten destrOyers, two fleet submarines.
fifteen coast submarines. one ammuni-
ton ship and one fuel oil ship, and
| the fifth year two battleships, one bat
tie cruiser, two scout cruisers. ten de.
stroyers. two feet submarines. fifteen
coast submarines, one gunboat. one am
munition ship and one repair ship.
The secretary Of the navy is asking
also for the immediate addition to the
personnel Of the navy Of 1900 sailors.
$500 apprentice seamen and 1900 ma
rines. This increase would be suh.
cient to care for the ships which are
to be 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. 1t is also necessary that
the number Of midshipmen at the Ma
val academy at Annapolis should be
increased by at least 800 in order that
the force Of officers should be more
rapidly added to. and authority Is ask
ed to appoint, for engineering duties
only, approved graduates Of engineer
ing colleges, and for service In the avf-
alton corps a certain number Of men
taken from civil life.
If this full program should be carried
out we should have built or building In
1921, according to the estimates Of sur
vival and standards Of classification
followed by the general board Of tic
department, an effective navy consist
ing Of ~ battleships of the first line, 6
battle cruisers, Is batt1eships Of the
second line. 10 arm0red cruisers. Ii
scout cruisers, 8 first class cruisers, 3
second class cruisers; 10 third class
cruisers, 1903 destroyers. :1s fleet sub
marines, 157 coast submarines, 6 mon
itors, 20 gunboats, supply ships, is
fuel ships. transports, tenders to
torpedo vessels, 8 vessels Of special
types and two ammunition ships. This
would be a navy fitted to our needs
and worthy Of our traditions.
| But armies and instruments of war
are only part of what has to be con-
sidered If we are to consider the su-
preme matter OF national self suf1cien-
cy and security in all it's aspects.
There are other great matters which
will be thrust upon our attention
whether we will or not. There Is. for
example, a very pressing question Of
| fCont;nued m naoo ~