The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-29
WAR POSSIBLE
WITH BRITAIN
AS OUR FOE
-AA-Aeaa n ~N>AH
Sees Peril in Pacific and
Says We Need Biggest
Navy Now.
SUBMARINES COULDN'T
SAVE NEW YORK CITY

WAsMiNGToS. Feb. cS.-An immediate
increase in the navy to the limit OF the
shipyards of the United States and n
general building programme to make 1t
the greatest in the world 'as soon as
possible were advocated before the
! House Naval Affairs Committee to-day
' by Admiral knight. member OF the gen.
erai board and president OF the Naval
War College.
Admiral knight said that the navy is
only 30 per cent. efficient. This condition
he lays to lack OF men and vessels OF
a type necessary to- round out the feet
from a military point OF view.
He proposed that the number OF men
be increased by $4,000. and in support
Of this recommendation said
FOR years the navy has been gasping
FOR breath for want Of men. II has been
necessary 20 take them on one ship to
put them on another. or take ten or
twenty men here and there to make up
a crew. I should like TO see the problem
Of personnel handled in "A more liberal
spirit. We need a little margin to haul
OF SO tina the people who have the prob
lem In hand could sleep at night without
wondering how they could get men here
and there to make up necessary compile
mente.'
Navy IL BlindfOlded.
Because OF the lack OF scou, ships to
send the feet out to defend our coast
from PASSPORT to Panama would be like
giving the officers "a commission with
their eyes blindfolded. he said. Without
scouts and battle cruisers, he added. the
navy would he unable to keep in touch
with the enemy or prevent him from OH
tanning complete information of its own
moves.
To round out the present feet and
make it an efficient fighting force Adj
niral knight proposed the addition o!
the following vessels
Mine battle cruisers. or as many as
could be bull, ~ once. of from 10000
to 81. 900 tons. with n speed of 30 lnots
or more. Eight scout cruisers, OF
5000 tons and higi, speed. with neces.
sary auxiliary vessels. Twenty destroy
crs. thirty Submarines. a Heating dry
dock for the Atlantic and Pacific. Il
naval base in the Caribbean and another
bass al Guam or elsewhere In tn. Pacific
Ist'ttt~' OF limitations W r'iphulluinE
facilitics Admiral knight Expressed the
oriu,ru thd' ~ MANY cruisers as possible
should he constructed the first year,
ei,hcr siN or nine IL possible. and IN the
meantime a committee should make an
irv"stigajion Of the ~shinyards and in
dIetTlal resou,cos used In building war.
ship With Il view to mohilizlng and in
'reaSir, them to undertake the task ot
building the greatest navy III the world
Little Navy Mel Alarmed.
'In saving this" he explained in re.
sponsc to questions from members OF the
committee. 81 am not considering the
state Of the Treasury. ! am giving 20,
my opinion as a military man as to wha'
- needed for the defence of this country
This country is the riches, in the world
We can afford IT,"
Some Of the little navy members wer,
obviously startled at the magnitude q
the recommendations and wanted I,
q know upon what possible situation h,
based his ideas OF satisfactory defence
Some OF them were at a loss TO under
stand how the United States could kee,
mace with the European Powers whicl
are using their shipbuilding resources 4
the utmost.
I'VE can't afford to stop at secon,
nIaCc, reiterated aunllTal hflRnt. wv
ma rave something to do in the Pacifl
~ we'll an the Atlantic. II is not likcl.
in the present would situation tina othc
Powers would combine with us. and ",
niGht have to fight more thar on
: Power"
" would not have to fight Ems
land" suggested Representative Hens
ley.
when ] see what IL going on now.
replied Admiral knight. and realiz
what my ideas were five or six wears ag
am convinced that we cannot Deepen
on anything. ! am not so sure we al
not going to have war with England"
Have we greater occasion to haste
now than we had two years ago." aske
NJ. Butler.
Before the war: Yes"
Think Submarines Best.
The argument was made by son
members that 80 long as the navy wa
second II could not afford to meet
stronger eneny and advocated the In
mediate building of submarines as III
most efficient defence obtainable. tt
futility of depending upon All inferio
heet, such as that of Germany In Il
present war. was advanced in support
the submarine programme.
THE navy will he obliged to go o,
and make AN attack Admiral knlgl
replied to this. III there IL any pc
sibility at all OF accomplishing anythin
The situation In Germany is quite di
fcrent from that OF the United state
Even Germany, ! believe, looks forwai
TO making "A drive with its fleet as IL
now making with its army, They Il
going out to make the challenge to p
/. to the test. .
"A line of submarines" added Admir-
Knight, would not protect New fo'
city, Tho enemy would send IN a vcl
large number OF such vessels as ha'
been developed In Great Britain to alta
submarines, They would undoubted
lose some ships. but they would bre;
the line and push home the attack"
II wish we could find L less expense
scarecrow.' suggested Representa-
-, Butler of Pennsylvania. who agreed wi
ADMIRAL Knight that n navy is need
which can defend the country at eve
point.
Need DisRcst Fleet Vow.
"W'hcn do we need the Creates ff
h the world" he then asked,
"To-morrow," promptly replied A
miral knight.
..,rh.. e., . rau h,urs an lier than