Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-06-26
BIG navy BILL
NOW CALLSFOR 7 SHIPS
Three Dreadnaughts, Four Battle
Cruisers, Costing Sill, 500, 900
and $l6,5O0, 900 Each
Agreed On.
BY SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE.
Quick Action Expected---May Revive
Southern Navy Yard---Points Of
Difference.

oVutnefp Ndfv IdT0--.rolntS OF
Difference.
The Senate committee on naval AZ.
fairs will report early next week to the
Senate the redrafted naval appropria.
| ton bill embodying the principal feat
ures recommended by the General
! Board. 1t is distinctly big navy
measure and will authorize practically
everything in the building plan pre-
posed by the General Board.
The Senate subcommittee compos-
ed of Chairman Tillman. Senators
swanson and Lodge, met on wednes-
,iay with Secretary Daniels and prac-
tlcally completed recommendations 70
be made to the full committee before
they adjourn.
The subcommittee reversed the rec
concentrations of the Genral Board for
the first year of the fiye-year construc-
ton plan by authorizing three dread
naughts apd four battle cruisers. the
board having recommended that the
order of capital ships be the reverse.
The other important variance from
the boards recommendations was in
the matter of the two fleet submarines
recommended for this year. The COM
mlttee decided that insomuch as the
two heretofore authorized have not yet
been consrtucted'none shall be author.
iZet1 for the first year of the building
programme.
Plan For Next Year.
a h. mi Il
important details of the plan of the
General Board as follows:
For next year, four scout cruisers,
ten torpedo boat destroyers, thirty
coast submarines, one fuel ship, oil !;
one hospital ship, one repair ship, one
fleet submarine tender ,one ammuni-
ton ship and one gungoat. The five
year programme features approved by
the Senate subcommittee embraces the
following construction to be accom-
plished before 1922:
Ten dreadnaughts, six battle cruis-
crs ten scouts, fifty destroyers, nine
fleet submarines, fifty-eight coast sub
marines, three fuel ships, oil; one re-
pair ship, one transport one hospital
ship two destroyer tenders, two ammu-
nitions hips. and two river gunboats
The bill will carry $3500,O00 for aero
planes, of which specific amount will
be provided for dirigible balloon and
the remainder left to be expended in
the discretion of the Secretary of the
Navy for either dirigibles or aero
planes. The limit of cost of the dread
naughts authorized will be fixed at
$11500,,0 each and of the battle
cruisers $16,500,000 each, exclusive of
armor and armament.
May Review Southern Navy Yard.
The subcommittee may recommend
that the navy yards at Charleston and
Norfolk be equipped for ship building
the former to build the smaller boats
and the latter all classes. Authorize
ton also may be provided for Gov
eminent foundry at Charleston yard to
turn out materials for work at other
navy yards
Senator Tillman, chairman of the
sub-committeesaidt the action had been
harmonious and in accordance with the
Secretary of the Navy and that he ex-
pected the full committee to adopt the
subcommittee recommendations.
While the subcommittee was discus
sing the plans for the enlarged navy,
Senator Tillman urged authorization
of ship of 10000 tons, 995 feet in
length armed with fifteen 1S-inch rifles.
with a speed of 35 knots, to cost $780,
100000. Such a battleship would have
approximately twice the power of any
vessel afioat. 1t would be the largest
craft that could pass through the Pan
anna Canal.
Points of Difference.
The Subcommittee, in its report ex-
plains in detail the differences between
its recommendations ami those of the
General Board and the Navy Depart
ment, as follows:
Authorizations to be undertaken
are in accord with the recommendations
of the General Board, with the follow
ing exceptions:
THE subcommittee provides for
the immediate construction of three
battleships and four battle cruisers
instead of four battleships and three
battle cruisers recommended by the
General Board.
The committees programme in
cludes ten scout cruisers in all, four to
be begun at once. This agrees with
the recommendations of the General
Board. The Department recommended
three the first year.
THE committee recommended fifty
torpedo boat destroyers in all, ten to
be begun at once This agrees with
the recommendations of the General
Board. The Navy Department recon-
memled fifteen the first year.
The committee recommends nine
fleet submarines. The General Board
recommended nine in all and two the
first year. The committe cites the fact
that authorization has just been OBJ
tanned to proceed with the two fleet
submarines of last year, which could
not be built under the original author
ization. 1t make no provision, there
fore. for the beginning of fleet subma-
rines this year. The Department. rec
commended fifteen fleet submarines in
all, five to be begun at once.
THE committe recommended fifty
eight coast submarines in all, thirty to
be begun at once. The General Board
G<&- 0h fsx-x, 70