New-York tribune., 1916-02-17
Refused to Ask for Money
to Rush Big Fleet,
Says Admiral.
100 MORE UNDERSEA
CRAFT ARE NEEDED
Work Started on Bills to In
crease Regular Army and
Federalize National Guard.
LINN IN. Tr1hun. Bnrean !

Washington. Feb. 16.-Rear Admiral
Albert W. Grant. in charge OF suoma-
rInes. before tho House Naval Com
mittee to-day, laid upon Secretary Dan
iels the blame for the department not
asking for money enough to speed up
the construction Of the submarines IN
the navy building programme. Admiral
Grant said that before the present nVe-
wear building programme had been
completed he had recommended that
the department ask for enough money
to insure q brosdside delivery oil big
fleet of underwater boats. According
to Admiral Grant, Secretary Daniels re-
fused 10 approve the recommendation
saving that Congress would not appro-
pirate the money.
What authority did he give for say
ing Congress would not appropriate the
necessary money! asked Representa-
tive Butler. of Pennsylvania.
He did not say"
Admiral Grant said he had recon-
mended complete reversal OF form on
the size Of submarines. and that the
new type boats should be SOO-ton craft
The German U-boats, he said. are all
OF that type, and have proven TO be re-
markably effective, completely out
chasing the old 400 and 500 ton classes.
Representative Oscar Galloway, OF
Texas. asked: What would be neces-
sary 20 keep this country from oe'ng
mopped up" ,.
"One hundred more submarines,
eight more battle-cruisers and twelve
scout cruisers was the admiraPs in
stant reply.
Build Cruisers First.
He added that forty-eight Of the sub
marines could be constructed within
reasonable time. and that the battle
cruisers should be built before any
other capital ships are started.
Submarine construction has reached
a point" he said. where we are JUS
titled in going ahead and building
large number. We are no longer ex-
perimenters.
Representative Galloway questioned
the admiral IA TO the relative strength
OF the American navy among those oi
the world Admiral Grant said he
believed the German. as well as the
British navy, was considerably stronger
There is today" he said, lone power
that has enough navy TO land on our
coast. even if We had the 1S3 sub
marines we need and our present fieef
Admiral Grant declared any enemy
feet must be considerably larger than
defending fleet 70 force a landing.
I'VE played that very problem on the
game board this summer at the War
College, and | was beaten he said
"The enemy landed. His fleet was
larger than ours and heavier. We lost
because he had battle-cruisers, which
destroyed our scouts and left us with
out information"
Every maneuvre or board game the
department had worked out, Admiral
Grant said, had shown the need OF bat
tle-cruisers and scouting craft.
Easy 10 Hit Perlscope.
In recent target practice with sub
marines, the admiral said, 10 had been
found very difficult 20 sight the target
through the periscope at a greater dis
tsnce than a mile. The periscope OF a
submarine was clearly visible at two
miles 20 lookouts sloft on a battleship
he declared, and IL was not any great
task 20 hit IL with gunfire.
Admiral Grant thought Great Brit
ain. Germany and France now had more
than one hundred submarines each IN
commission, as against thirty-seven IN
the United States Navy. Russia and
italy also had added to their lotillas
he said. and had big building pro
grammes.
Committee bills to Increase the reg
ular army 20 between 10000 and 200.-
600 men and proposing definite
scheme for tederalization Of tho ma.
tional guard under a militia paw act
probably will be before both houses OF
Congress within three weeks. A build
ing programme for the navy, however
will not be ready before May, although
Chairman Padgett of the House com
mittee urged the members to-day "a
speed up examination Of witnesses.
The House Military Committee will
begin work tomorrow on the militia
liberalization bill. and II a strong
measure is produced influential mem
bers of the Senate committee say i,
will be accepted BY the Senate. The
Senate committee continued work to-
day on its bill for the regular army in
crease.