Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-10
Secretary Daniels Gives Out
Statement Regarding Five
= New Classes of Ships.
ACTION ON APPROPRIATION
BILL BY SENATE AWAITED
Il Passed as It Stands Department
Will Be Ready to Immediately
Advertise for Bids.

Secretary Daniels of the Navy Depart
ment has made public a statement an
nouncing that he has approved the COM
plete plans for i've new classes of naval
vsssels-scout cruisers, destroyers, gun
boat. fuel ship and hospital ship. The
pending naval appropriation bill, now
before the Senate. contains provision
for four scout cruisers and twenty de-
other three types of vessels. If the
bill passes as it stands. Mr.. Daniels says,
the Navy Department will be ready to
advertise Immediately for bids or to
authorize the construction in navy
yards Of the specified vessels.
Mr.. Daniels said 1t was realized last
fall. when the President made his rec
ommendation to Congress for the au-
thori3ation of an unprecedentedly large
naval building program, that special
provision would have to be made in
order to complete the designs prompt
~. 30 that the ships authorized could
be laid down. He accordingly, last
December, requested Congress to au
thorize in the urgent deficiency bill the
employment of a large number of ad-
ditiona1 technical employees in the bu
debate on the floor of the House of this
section of the urgent deficiency bill IL
was stated that this was the initial
step in the administrations program
TOR national preparedness and a record
vote was called for, with the result
that the Navy Department was permit
TED to obtain the men necessary to pro-
coed With all the designs at top speed.
now completed so that the vessels
themselves can be proceeded with as
soon a. authorized, is due to the fore
sight Of the department, the prompt
and devotion to duty of the officers and
civilian employees engaged upon this
work
Submarine Designs Ready.
In addition to the designs referred to
above the designs Of twenty-seven sub
marines also will he ready by the time
the naval bill has been approved.
The technical forces of the depart
ment now are working full force on
the three remaining designs or classes
Of vessels provided for in the bill as
reported to the Senate. that Is. battle
cruisers. battleships and An ammuni-
ton ship. Mr.. Daniels says these de-
signs will be entirely completed in suf-
tracted for within less than six months
after their authorization.
Starting the construction of ten DIFF
fsrent classes Of vessels within such q
short period after their authorization
will constitute . record which has
never before been approached in the
United States. nor Is 1t believed that
any other country has been able to
approach such . record
The scout cruisers referred to above
will mark . tremendous advance in
size. speed. armament and other. es-
any vessels Of the same classes pos
sesssd by any other nation.
The design of the destroyers provides
a very marked increase in speed over
previous United States naval vessels
Of the same class without departing
from the principles upon which such
stress has been laid in our previous
destroyers- These are: the very robust
type Of construction permitting them TO
make high speed in heavy weather. and
to accompany the battleship feet at all
times; heavier armament. as regards
both guns and torpedoes. than is car
ried by destroyers in other navies. and
lastly . very great cruising radius.
which adds immeAsurably to their
value both tactically and strategically.
The gunboat will be of type design
ed especially for use In tropical waters
and win be able both to keep the sea
paratively shallow rivers. In addition
TO adequate armament and speed for
the service for which intended. the out
standing characteristics of the vessel
win be absolute dependability. and the
provision of a maximum degree of COM
fort for her officers and crew during
long periods of patrol duty.
Hospital Ship Especially Designed.
The hospital ship will be the first
vessel Of its kind to be especially de-
signed and built for the United States
Navy, the two which saw service dur
ing the Spanish war having been ordi-
nary merchant vessels converted for
this purpose Under the terms of the
Geneva convention. hospital ships are
immune from capture and are not pro-
yfded with military features of any
sort They are. by the terms of this
convention, identified by a broad green
stripe along the hull parallel to the
water line. and by a red cross painted
on the funnel In addition to these dis
tinguishing marks this vessel will be
provided with large red cross placed
in a horizontal position and with spe-
cial provision for illumination so that
It will be visible. both by day and by
night, from aircraft.
The ship is provided with every sort
Of medical and surgical apparatus and
other facilities to be found in the best
equipped hospitals on shore. This yes
sci has been designed to meet in all
respects the requirements of the bu-
reau of medicine and surgery. and Sur
gon General BREASTED and the other
officers OF that bureau have been I'M
firing In their work to make the yes
sci complete in every respect for the
care of the sick and wounded.
The designs for all these vessels
have been prepared by the bureaeu of
construction and repair. in constant
consultation with the other technical
bureaus of the Navy Department The
designs have been approved by the
general board of the navy. of which
Admiral George Dewey is president.
as meeting the military requirements
for vessels of their respective classes
originally laid down by that board