Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1916-02-24
State Librarian
HELENA

tional considerations which NOV Stal
navy general board to change it..
honored policy last year and declare
that the United States navy should
equal the strongest afloat by not later
than 1925, will be disclosed to the
house naval committee tomorrow in
executive session, by Rear Admiral
Charles j. Badger, member of the
board. Examination Of Admiral Bad
ger in open session was concluded to-
day. the admiral consistently refusing
to discuss, except behind closed doors,
the boards views of dangers which
may confront the nation.
The subject came up when Repre-
sentative Stephens Of California. seek
ing to show that the Pacific coast was
inadequately defended, asked if the
board, in altering it's policy did not
have in mind the possibility that the
country might have to face simultane-
ously enemies in the Pacific and At
lantic oceans. Admiral Badger said
he could answer that only in execu-
tive session. He explained, however.
that fleet capable of dominating the
Pacific ocean was the only sure pro-
lection for the Pacific coast and said
that the earth slides in the Panama
canal had made impossible, for the
present and possibly for another year,
the use of the fleet in both oceans.
Further discussion of the canal clos
ure also was deferred to the closed
session.
Admiral Badger expressed the opin-
ion that should the United States
adopt tWo-power standard navy, such
as recommended by the general board
Great Britain would not alter her rate
of construction, at least until the gap
between the two fleets had been ma
terially reduced. Earlier in his testi-
mony he had said he did not consider
war with Great Britain even remote
possibility.
Replying to question by Repre-
sentative Galloway, the admiral said
that in framing the 1886. 900 900 build
ing program it first proposed under
its new policy, the board had been
going on the theory that it was neces-
sary to get as many big ships as pos.
sible added to the fleet in the short
est time the country's building facili-
ties would permit.
"Do you think we have the same
reason for desiring supremacy of the
sea that England has?" Representa-
tive Galloway asked.
"Not at present, perhaps" the wit.
ness replied, but eventually we would
have to reach out for our share of
world trade and anybody who stood in
the way Of our getting fair deal
would have to be dealt with"
Admiral Badger repudiated a sug-
gestion that military men viewed all
international problems from the stand
point of force, while statesmen looked
upon force and diplomacy as equal
arms of government.
ultimately, however" he added
diplomacy depends on force"
Representative Dritten asked if the
general board had not made a recon-
mendatiOn in 1914 which Secretary
Daniels had refused to make public
unless its remarks as to personnel in
the navy were stricken out Prefacing
his reply with the statement that Sec
retary Daniels was the first secretary
to make public the boards recon-
mendation in full and that in navy reg
ulations they were regarded as for
confidential use of the secretary only
Admiral Badger said:
81 think much more has been made
of that incident than is justified
He explained that the board had made
a general recommendation as to per
sonnel, amplified with statistical ta-
bles, to show it's effects. When an
eX-officio member of the board later
suggested that the secretary was dis
inclined to publish the statistical part
of the recommendations, these had
been stricken out There was no sug
gestion, he added, of an attempt by
the secretary to force the board tc
alter it's statements.
Representative Galloway produced
a calculation which, he said, had been
made for him by a navy officer, com
pairing the gunpowder of the American
and German fleets. BY these figures
he said, the American fleet in guns
above five inch had total muzzlt
energy of 6,166,44S foot tons and to
tai broadside projectile weight of 1872,
906 pounds; while Germany's tota
muzzle energy was 5.474,S58 and {
broadside projectile weight of 1867:
pounds.