Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-10-21
defense PROGRAM
OF Sl,OOO,OOO,OOO
FOrty-Three First-Line Dread
naughts and Battle Cruisers
Planned for 1915.
100000 TRAINED MEN.
Coast Defenses On Atlantic and Pacific
to be MOdernized-- Complete In
surance Against Attack.

Facts coming TO light each day in
jicates that President Wilson'S na-
tional defense program scontemplates
an expenditure on army and navy of
probably $1,000 goo, 600 in the next six
wears. For new ships and increased
personnel for the navy $500 100000 to
be spent in five years. For the army
i is proposed an equally large sum
within the Period named.
According to plans laid ont by ex-
perts of the Navy and War Department
there will be by 1926 a first line OF
dreadnaughts and battle cruisers mum
bering forty-three; a feet of coast de
Tense submarines that would fringe
the Atlantic and Pacific coasts with
an almost solid lire of interior de-
Tense. feet Of nearly 175 destroyors
and squadrons Of huge seagJire fleet
submarines to operate with the bat
tie squadrons at great distances from
the shore.
General characteristics Of the super
battle cruisers for the new navy build
ing program. approved by the general
board, contemplated ships nearly 500
feet long. between 90 and 100 feet i'm
beam and with six trubino driven pro-
pellers to make a minimum sreed OF
35 knots an hour Even the new fleet
of scout cruisers will not equal the
battle cruisers in speed The former
VIII be designed to maintain for lcng
periods of speed of % knots, endurance
rather than excessive speed being the
object sought All of the now dost: ~
ers will make over 80 knots an hour
and one of the six fer which contracts
were let yesterday Will make 80 knots
For the army there would be at the
end of six years a trained force Of ! =
100000 men, including a regular army
of 100000 and the PROPOSED continen
tai army and reserves: a ring Of fully
manned coast defenses. equipped with
the largest and most powerful guns
yet built, and vast reserve of field
guns, machine guns, howitzers and big
gun ammunition. In addition, the en-
ormously increased capacity Of private
munition plants would give assurance
of ample supplies of small arms ana
field gun ammunition.
Neither War nor Navy Department
estimates for the coming year have
been made public as yet in detail..It is
learned, however, of the seventy-two-
million-dollar increase over last year
to be asked by the War Department
S46,000,000 would be toward reserve
OF faI 10 .
remaining S26,O00.0O0, to be used in
building up the new armies, regular
and continental. Part of the 10000
600 would go into building and arm
ing 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-inch and IL
inch rifles with carriages that will
give them greater range Much al
ready has heen accomplished IN that
way, and the work will be carried on
until every foot is modernized. No
l6-inch rifles vii be installed in place
of smaller guns, however, it is said.
because to make all the changes in
magazines, haists. machinery and the
like would be more expensive and less
satisfactory than to build new en-
placements for those huge weapons.
The Navy Department has still to
award contracts for the major portion
of the building program authorized by
the last Congress. Contracts will be
awarded next month for the four sub
marines, bigger. faster and more pow
erful than any submersible craft ever
designed. The Schley, now building
viii displace 1000 tons and make 20
knots an hour on the surface The
new boats will displace 1,200 tons and
make 25 knots. Next month all con
tracts will be let for two 32,00O-ton
superdreadnaughts. ships which will
carry a round dozen 14-inch rifles
each. aud will have new protection
against submarine attack, the nature
If which is being closely Guarded.
OF the S6S,000,000 increase to be ask
ed for the navy next year. the bulk
would go into four big ships, two su-
perdreaGnaughts and two super battle
cruisers. They would be the first Of
the sixteen capital ships ii be laid
down within FIVE years. under the adj
ministration program, the last of which
would not be in commission until 1925
The present program of not more than
four big ships a year. it has been
pointed out, also gives opportunity TO
keep the designs up to date from year
10 year. This is one reason why il is
proposed to build only two battle cruis
ers the first year and more the second.
Naval architecture is making such
rapid strides with the great navies of
,he world engsged in actual hostilities
that American designers hesitate To
recommend the construction Of large
number Of the ships at one time Each
year secs radical alterations in battle