Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-12-09
ment however. in the following ian.


meut. however. IN the following ian.
lguage
No Extraordinary Powers
The last naval bin does not give TO
the department any additional or OK
traordinRry powers in connection with
Iplacing the contracts for these Vos.
sells or in obtaining materials for their
construction. il Is hoped that the
necessity win not arise OF having 10
TASK for such powers. as q number Of
tshipbuildcrs and manufacturers have
lahown an attitude OF willingness to as
slst the department In meeting the un-
usual situation created by the desire
Of the country to commence and 90 eN-
pedito an entirely unprecedented ma
| val program at a time when the in
| dustral resources Of the country are
Ialready taxed TO their utmost capa
ICity IN meeting the demands OF ire
mcndous trade activity both domestic
and foreign, In every branch Of bust
ness. II may be necessary. however
for congress TO enact legislation OF this
character to insure the early compile
ton of the program Of construction DO
The report touches briefly on many
activities Of the navy department and /
cOmmcnds highly the new organiza- /
ton aud coordination that Is being /
effected by Admiral Benson, chief Of t
operations In addition 10 the report |
of the general board, q fun statement /
by Admiral Benson Is appended, /
showing the rapid progress being /
made in In every line Of development,
The most disappointing feature Of the
year, according 10 the general board
and Admiral Benson, has been the
slow progress with development Of ma
val aircraft
Undoubtedly much preliminary
work has been done experimentally
which does not show" the board says
but The application of this very i'm
portant branch Of the service 10 the
practical uses Of the fleet has not yet
been fully developed. Satisfactory
aircraft do not appear as yet TO be
for use with the fleet"
The board recommends new or
of the flying service under
o directing officer in the office Of the
chief OF operations. While admitting
the slowness Of aenonauticul develop
mcnt Admiral Benson expresses the
hope that big machine designed and
built by the navy and now under testl
may solve the problems encountered
Only Seventeen Acroplancs.
The report shows that the navy now
has seventeen aeroplanes in active =
service and that sixty more have been
ordered. In addition several French
md British made machines have been
ordered.
In it's brief review of tho European /
var, the general board finds nothing
o warrant modification of It's previ-
nus belief that the battloship is "the
backbone OF the sea power Of a ma
ion" For this reason the report
dds the board has determined that
he number power and size of the
.uns TO 81 placed aboard new battle
hips should be increased without sac
ifcing armoT speed or cruising RAJ
Illus Larger ships must be built TO
ontain all these characteristics, the !
eport continues, and for the 1913
|
the most powerful battery which f
believes can be constructed having
Iue regard TO the present state
# the art Of building heavy ordnance
n this country"
1t rs shown that tho batteries decid-
d upon 10 meet these requirements
viii be twelve iG-inch, 50-calber guns ,
or each ship A test gun is now be- ,
ng built ,
Discussing enlistments in the navy f
secretary Daniels shows that con "a
ress has authorized an immediate in
roaso Of $4,000 men, only 2,52i Of j
whom have been obtained.
"Horo again lie new and serious .
rohlcms, he says, More than ordi-
AIRY methods must be used to per -
uudo young men to decline countless 1
opening before them in 81
commercial life In favor Of service &
With the government c
Were 1t not for the gratifying re u
ults In onlstments already shown, as u
result OF the policy of the last few ~
ears of offering educational advan I
ages, particularly along technical O
ines, 20 our recruits. I would feel in O
Iced that the problem Of securing the
non authorized for our Fleets was an a
Utmost hopeless one. As It Is ! feel >
uro 1t will be solved, but it is still a n
problem and what !. dcsyc in this re- :.
'ort is 60 warn the public against q
considering that the mere passage of A
avs authorizing additional men is L
qulvalent TO having these men actu- a
,lly on board our ships" t,
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