Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-02-25
ASSERTS u. S. NAVY
IS KEPT UP-TO-DATE
Capt. Mexican of Bureau of Opera
tons Before House Naval
Committee.
STATES HIS PREFERENCE.
Believes Vessels Should be Of 400 Tons
Type---Admiral Grants State
ment

War plans for the navy TO meet any
emergency are kept well up-to-date al
all times Capt Josiah Mexican. of the
Bureau OF Operations told the House
naval committee in Congress recently
Ills statement was affirmed by lette.
from Admiral George Dewey 10 Chair
man Padgett. of the committee.
Captain Mexican saw no benefit from
the creation of "A general star. Rep
/ resentative Roberts sought to show
that the present navy organization i'm
posed enormous responsibility ON the
chief of operations. without giving him
full authority 20 command an the ele
ments OF the feet and the department
with which be must work to keep in
tact and ready for instant use the
country's first line of defense.
Captain Mexican said the plan was
working out vell,and disapproved any
change in the organization for the
present or until f'ller informatit was
obtained as 10 what vas needed Rep
resentative Roberts asked what Can
tain Mexican knew of the Japanese
building program for her navy. He
read a statement showing that three
hsudred-and-fifty- -million-yen program
would add eight dreadnaughts and
eight battle cruisers To her feet
Captain Mexican said his understand
ing was that the program eontempla
ted total feet of that capital strength
as Japan had no dreadnaughts or bat
tie cruisers when it was adopted The
program might have been extended, he
said, but he had heard nothing to that
effect Representative Britten said he
thought Captain Mexican was mistak-
en- as to the total strength of the
proposed Japanese fee "hghting
fleet" Chairman Padgett interjected-
would not our coast be open to any
landing force"'
Always" Captain Mexican replied
But the witness insisted that his in
depreciation was the correct one. To
Representative Kelly he said the Jap
anese program when ccmpleted,would
find the United States with seventeen
drcadnaughts in commission. ell OF
which have been authorized. although
without adequates cortng ships or
battle cruisers.
Captain McKean disagreed with Rear
Admiral Grant as 10 the si2a of future
submarines. He thought the bulk OF
the fotillas should be of the purely
coastal type OF 100 tons as against 500
ton boats recommended by Admiral
Grant for all uses. The witness
thought a greater number of subma-
rine bases should be established ON tn,
coasts than Admiral Grant proposed
limiting the radius Of the smaller
boats 10 three hundred miles.
Under examination by Represent
ative Oliver. Captain Mexican agreed
that the best way 10 increase protec-
tion OF the coasts in the shortest time
possible was TO hasten construction of
submarines destroyers and aircraft
He insisted however. that building Of
capital ships should be speeded up
simultaneously, as they were the real
dependence against any emergency.
Rear Admiral Grant continued be
fore the same committee. giving conf
Dental information in an executive
session, throwing considerable light
on European naval secrets. Captain
Mexican agreed with Admiral Grant
that even with the governments pres
ent fve-year policy of building com
lieted The United States navy would
be . poor third in see ercngth
The military affairs committee work
ed on the army bill in executive ses-
.on Il was said by member of that
committee that IL will not be sur
prising ii the committee reports legis-
Iation providing FOR a standing army
0f 20000o men