Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-07

| Y, would depend upon the patriotic
| feeling OF the younger men Of the
country whether they responded TO such
1 n call to service or not. II would de-
pend upon the patriotic spirit of the
employers of the country whether they
| mnde II possible for the younger men
/ in their employ TO respond under favor
| able conditions or not. I, for one, do
| not doubt the patriotic devotion either
/ of our young men or of those who give
! them employment - those for whose
| benefit and protection they would, In
fact, enlist. 7 would look forward 60 the
success of such nm experiment with en-
tire confidence.
At least so much by way of preparation
for defense seems to me to be abso-
lutely imperative now. We cannot do
less
The Naval Program
The program which will be laid before
you by the Secretary of the Navy Is sinl-
larly conceived. II involves only a short
enng of the time within which plans long
matured shall be carried out; but II does
make definite and explicit program
which has heretofore been only explicit
held in the minds of the Committee on
Naval Affairs and disclosed in the de-
bates of the two houses, but nowhere
formulated or formally adopted. II seems
to me very clear that 1t will be TO the
advantage OF the country for the Congress
to adopt a comprehensive plan for put
ting the navy upon n final footing of
strength and efficiency and to press that
plan to completion within the next five
years. we have nNvnys looked TO the
navy of the country our nrst and
chief line of dcfenscI we have always
seen IL TO he our manifest course OF
prudence to he strong on the sens.
Year by year we have been creating
navy which now ranks very high indeed
M n
tions. we should now definitely deter
mine how We shall complete what we
have begun, and how soon.
The program TO lie laid before you
contemplntcs the construction within
five years of 10 bnttlcships six battle
cruisers, 10 scout cruisers, 30 destroy
ers. i5 fleet submarines, ~ conn sub !
marines, four gunbOntS, one hospital
ship two ammunition ships two fuel
oil ships and one rcDnir ship. IL is pro-
posed that of this number we shall the |
first ycnr provide for the construction
of two bnttleshiDs two battle cruisers
three scout cruisers 10 dcstroycrs, five |
fleet submarines, 80 cOnst submarines, |
two Eunbonts and one hospital ship; |
the second year. two bnttIcships, one !
scout cruiser. 10 JestrOycrs, four fleet |
submarines ~ const submarines one /
Eunbont md one fuel oil ship; the third /
year, two bnttlcships, one battle |
cruiser two scout cruisers. five destroy
crs, two fleet submarines and IL |
const submarines the fourth year. two |
bnttleships, two battle cruisers two |
scout cruisers, 10 dcstroycrs two fleet |
submarines IL coast submarines, one /
ammunition ship and one fuel oil ship
md the ffth year, two battlcshipS one |
battle cruiser, two scout cruisers, 10 |
two fleet submarines; IL |
coast submarines, one EunbOnt one
ship and one repair ship.
DI
also for the immediate addition to the
personnel of the navy of 1900 sailors, $500 |
apprentice seamcn and 1900 marines. This |
increase would be sufficient to care for .
the ships which are to be completed .
within the fiscal year 1917 and also for the |
training to man the ships which will be
early in 1915. 1t is also neces-
sary that the number of midshipmen at
the Naval Academy. at Annapolis, should
be increased by at least 800, in order that
the force of officers should be more rapid |
ly added to: and authority Is asked to ap- .
point, for engineering duties only. ap-
proved graduates of engineering colleges, |
and for service in the aviation corps n
certain number Of men taken from civil |
life
II this full program should he carried
out we should have built or building in
1921, according TO the estimates Of sur
Niynl md standards of classification fol-
lowed by the General Board of the de
pnrtment. effective navy consisting
of ~ bHttIeships of the first line six
battle cruisers - battIeships of the
second line 10 nrmOred cruisers, ~
scout cruisers. five first class cruisers,
three secOnd-cIass cruisers 10 third
class cruisers los dcstrOyerS, Is fleet |
submarines, I57 coast submarines, six /
20 GunbORts four supply !
ships, IL fuel ships, fOur transports,
three tenders to torpedo vessels, eight |
vessels of special types ana two nmmu- |
milton ships. This would he navy fit- !
ted TO our need and worthy of our !
traditions.
Merchant Marine Urged
But armies and instruments OF war
are only part OF what has to he con-
sIdered IL we are 10 consider the su-
preme matter of national sclf-sufii-
cheney and security In all its aspects.
There are other great matters which
will he thrust upon our attention
whether we Will not. There Is, for |
example, very pressing question of |
trade and shipping involved In this
great problem OF national adequacy. Ii |
is necessary for many weiGhty reasons
OF national efficiency and development
that we should have II great merchant
The great merchant feet we |
once used TO make us rich, that great /
body of sturdy sailors who used to
carry our nag INTO every sea, ana |
who were the pride and often the
bulwark of the nation, we have almost
driven out of existence by ineXcusable
neglect and Indifference and by hope
lessly blind and provincial policy of So
called economic protection. IL Is high
time we repaired our mistake and re-
sumed our commercial Independence on
the seas.
Question of Independence
For il is "A question of independents
II other nations 20 to war or seek 10
hamper each others commerce, our mer-
chants, 1t seems. are at their mercy TO
do with as they please. We must use
their ships and use them as they de-
We have not ships enough of
our own. We cannot handle our own
commerce on the seas. Our indepen-
dence II provincial, and ia only on land
and within our own borders. We are
not likely to be permitted to use even
the ships of other nations in rivalry
of their own trade, and are without
means to extend our commerce even
where the doors are wide open and our
goods desired
Such a situation is not to be endured. .
1t Is of capital Importance not only that |
the United States should be its own car
rier on the seas and enjoy the economic |
which only an adequate
merchant marine would give it, but also
that the American hamisDhere as A whole /