Fergus County Democrat., 1915-10-21
NATIONAL DEFENSE


means an expenditure on the army
and navy OF upward of a billion dol
lars in the next six years will be laid
before the people by President Wilson
November 4, when he goes to New
York to make his first public address
since the scope of the policy upon
which his administration has EN-
barked became known.
The president will speak before the
Manhattan club of New York on ma
tional defense, and the reasons which
have impelled him to approve plans
to about double the navy and quad
ruple the trained fighting forces
ashore within few years
With the estimates of the war and
navy departments submitted for the
coming year, the breadth of the ad-
ministration's policy as to prepared
ness is being realized. 1t shapes in
totals as follows:
Navy-For new ships and increased
personnel in five years, $500 ,0OO, 900.
Army--For reserve, material farms
and alnmunitiom within four years,
$105, 100000; for new coast defenses
and modernization of old forts within
four years, $Sl 100000; for the new
continental army and the proposed
increase in the regular army, $25,-
100000. This amount probably will
be continuing and if anything in
creasing appropriation through the
first siX-year period, which would
make the total expenditure at that
time, Sl55 100000
The grand total expenditure thus
actually planned would be $842, ,0oO,-
600
According to plans laid out by ex-
perts of the navy and war depart
ments, these expenditures would pro-
duce by 1925 a first line of dread
noughts and battle cruisers number
ing 43: fleet OF coast defense sub
marines that would fringe the Atlantic
and Pacific coasts with an almost
solid line of defense against attack;
a fleet of nearly rs destroyers anu
sqnadrons Of huge sea-going subma-
rines to operate with the battle squad
rcns at great distance from shore.
For the army there would be in
addition six years training force OF
100000 men. including regular
army OF 100000 and the proposed con-
tinental army and reserves; ring of
fully manned coast defenses, equipped
with the large and most powerful guns
yet built and a vast reserve OF field
guns, machine guns. howitzers and
big gun ammunition.
In addition, the enormously in
creased capacity OF private munition
plants would give assurances Of ample
supplies OF small arms and field gun
ammunition
A definite step toward enlarging
TIE navy was taken today when con-
tracts were awarded for % of the
fighting crafts authorized by the last
congress. They are six big cruiser
destroyers ,thrty-knot boats, each to
carry l2 torpedo tubes. four 4-inch
guns and three 3-inch anti-aircraft
guns and l6 coast defense submarines
each displacing more than $50 tons
and each equipped with 3-inch dis
appearing rifle for surface fighting
The day set "A new record for the
department in the number of con-
tracts awarded
Neither war nor navy department
estimates for the coming year have
been made public as yet in detail 1t
was learned today, however, that of
the $72,000.000 increase over last
years bill to be asked by the war
department, $46,OOO,OOO would go
toward reserve material and coast de-
Tense works, the remaining $25, 600 900
to be used in building up the new
armies, regular and continental. Part
of this $46,000000 would go into
building and arming the new forts
which will guard the entrance to
Chesapeake bay.
It is proposed to spend more of the
money in building new forts to guard
New York, San Francisco and other
great harbOrs from attack. Gigantic
16-inch rifles will be mounted in all
these defenses of the first class where
enemy craft with modern guns would
be dangerous from great distance.
Another expenditure contemplated
is for fitting the present 12 and IA.
inch rifles with carriages that will
give them greater range. Already
much has been accomplished in that
way, and the work will be carried on
until every fort is modernized. No
l6-inch rifles will be installed in place
OF smaller guns, however, it is said,
because to make all the changes in
magazines, hoists, machinery and the
like would be more expensive and less
satisfactory than to build new en-
placements for these huge weapons.
The navy department has still to
award contracts for the major portion
OF the building program authorized
Dy the last cOnpraSS
Contracts will be awarded next
| month for four fleet submarines, big
ger, faster and more powerful than
any submersible craft ever designed
The Schley, now building, will dis.
place thousand tons and make 20
knots on the surface. The new boats
will displace l 200 tons and make 25
knots. Next month contracts will be
let for two 32,00O-ton superdread.
noughts, ships which will carry a
| round dozen 14-inch rifles each and
| which will have new protection against
| submarine attack, the nature of which
| is being closely guarded
Or the $68,O00,0OO increase to be
asked for the navy next year, the
bulk would go into four big ships, two
superdreadnoughts and two cruisers
They would be the first of the sixteen
!