The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-19
Naval Committee, Disregarding Daniels Program, Presents One-Year Scheme Carrying Total Appropriation of $24O,- OO0,OO0.
Insures Building of 20 Sub marines, Scout Cruisers
 and 10 Destroyers = Adds 16,50O to Personnel--Secre- tary of Navy Seems Pleased.

washington. May 1s.-Ignoring com tpletely the five-year building program Recommended by Secretary of the Navy, Daniels in his last annual re- port, the House Committee on Naval Affairs yesterday refused to make au- 4hor1zation for any dreadnoughts whatever but adopted the following construction for the fiscal year 1917:
 Five battle cruisers at $2O, S3.5S1 each-each to carry ten 14-dnch guns and to have a speed of 35 knots; 20 Isubuaranes. three of which are to be meet and r coast. defense submarines, 4he former to cost $3, 500, 900 and the kaatter sa2, ,325, 900; four scout cruisers at s5,571, 300 each; ten destroyers at aass96. s14 each; one hospital ship at e, 500, 900; one fuel ship at $1,36S 272. and one ammunition ship at $2,714,650.
 The total amount appropriated for new construction in this years pro- Rrczn Is $1s0, ,2t1, ,517, which, together with abont 10.O00.00O provided for the milton, will aggregate 170,0o0, 900. The amount appropriated for this purpose in last years Naval Bill was $50, 900, 900.
 Secretary Daniels's plan. which called for an eventual appropriation of $5O2, ,4S2, ,z14, recommends the follow ing construction for the fiscal year
 Dpeadnoughts, ?: battle cruisers, 2; scouts. 3; destroyers, 15; fleet subma- zines, 5; coast submarines, 25; gun hoats, 2. and hospital ships, 1.
 For the i've years the secretary cruisers. 10 scout cruisers. 50 destroy CTS, 15 fleet submarines. S5 coast sub- marines and gunboats.
 He recommended the construction of a fuel oil ship in 1918 and another 1n 1920; an ammunition ship in 1920 ac1 1921 and a hospital ship this year
 In addition to the authorizations for new construction the bill will carry $2s000, 900 for aeronautics, appropria- tons of $1, 5o0,00o each for dry docks at Norfolk and Philadelphia, $13,70O.- 600 for ammunition for ships already built or authorized and $4,50O,OOO in addition for reserve ammunition. In all, the measure carries a. total ap- propriation Of $240, 1000, ,O0o, which is s9O, ,00O, 900 in excess of the total ap- propriatton carried in last years naval programme.
 The measure increases the navy per sonneI to a. total of sO,OO0 men. in- .cluding marines and exclusive of of dcers. The addition men for the navy authorized today are 16.5O0.
 Republican members of the commit- tee made an intellectual effort to in- crease the strength of the building
 
 construction of the ships authorized.
 Representative Brftten made un- successful efforts to have the battle cruisers constructed in 30 months, submarines in one year, scout cruis- CTS and destroyers in IS nlonthst the committee decided are to be built on the Pacific Coast if the cost of construction does not exceed that on the Atlantic plus the transportation charges.
 After he fad heard of the commit tees action, Secretary, of the Navy Daniels gave out a statement in which he said:
 TOT course I think it would have been best if the House committee had reported the fve-year programme as suggested in my annual report and approved by the President, but I un- sderstand that at no time was it possi- ble to secure the votes Of a majority of the committee for this larger pro- position.
 "A very considerable number of the naval officers who testified before the Building battle cruisers instead of bat tAesl1ips for time. owing to the pressing need of this type of ship. Whaoh represents the highest type of rvaTzhip design The opinion of the. General Board, however, in which I coHcur, was that it was probably wiser 70 divide our new construction of capi- ta- ships this year between dread noughts and battle cruisers
 However, the need for these swift. Enyge. heavily gunned ships is so press ing when we consider the other great nayfes of the world, that I had far rather see the number I suggested in creased than diminished. As said at the time. the programme pre-. 9euted to Congress represented a 1nznfrnum and not g maximum Of each type.
 Rattle cruisers are invariably counted by ths naval experts as much .scapita1 ships as dreadnoughts. and the strength of navies is reckoned primarily on it sstrength in capital ships. We have thus gained in the, report one more capital ship than we asked for the first year
 While have not totaIIed figures myself am told that the actual amount of money appropriated for this year in the bill as reported by tho committee is more than the amount recommended in my report. Th1 big sfferenoe is that the bill covers this year only instead of com nitung us to a definite increase for the four years to follow
 50 far as the other ships are con- cerned outside of the capital ships provided, there Is no essential differ ence between those now in the bill and as recommend in my report for the first year.
 T am sorry the battIeships were eliminated, and would be gratified if they were restored before the sf1I came to the President One thing about the committees report is ex- treme1y r-atifying, and that is that members of the committee who voted for only one battleshlp last year this year voted for five battle cruisers.'
 Chairman Padgett said he would re- port the naval bill to the House some day next week. It is the present plan of the Democratic leaders to pass the measure before the meeting of the two national conventions. although Republican opposition to the program agreed upon today may prevent.