Fergus County Democrat. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-1919, 1916-03-09

WASHINGTON, March S.-Approxi.
matcly billion and half dollars for
new ships and an annual upkepp
charge of $7do, 200. Is Whit Admiral
Fletcher. commanding the Atlantic
ilret estimates II would cost TO carry
ont the navy general boards recon.
mcndntion that the American navy
should equal the most powerful neet
afioht by not later than 1926.
The adnirals estimate was given
today in testimony before che house
naval committee. Representative Cal.
laway. who brought out the state.
mrnt. called attention to published
reports that Great Britain had added
nearly million tons to her fight.
ing ships since the war began He
was asked II the situation was not
hopeless" Admiral Fletcher thought
not, adding that Judging by its great
wealth. the United States could well
afford to give it's interests the same
protection that other nations thought
necessary.
Representative ilensley asked II a
race In building warships or In any
other military preparation between
two nations had not invariably led
to war. Admiral Fletcher said no, and
expressed the opinion that failure to
prepare was merely making certain
that Il nation must surrender Its
rights.
Representative Galloway asked II II
was not reasonable to assume that the
European war would end within
year or a year and half at most
Admiral Fletcher thought II would.
and added that he believed the close
of the war will see the greatest Op-
portnnity in history for the success
of an International disarmament or
limitation of armament agreement. He
insisted, however that the United
States could not afford to put of Its
navy building on that account.
why not put all our energies into
completing ships already authorized"
Representative Galloway asked, "and
so far as new building is concerned,
await the conclusion OF tho war;"
Admiral letcher repeated his state
ment that the hope of a disarmament
agreement was too vague to build
upon.
Representative Oliver asked II any.
thing had been developed within the
last year to shake Admiral Fletcher's
faith In heavy armored ships as the
main strength of navy. He asked
particularly II high explosive shells
had made armor less trustworthy.
"There has been no development In
high explosive shells worth mention.
ing in that time" Admiral Fletcher
replied.
Representative Galloway took the
witness through n number OF hypothet-
ical engagements to support his con.
te,t;n, tnut m tho prno.
ence Of submarines, mines and tor
pedoes no longer can fight in fleets.
Admiral Fletcher disagreed and re.
sorted to paper and pencil to map out
the operations of two hostile fleets
under the conditions set.
After Admiral Fletcher concluded
his testimony. Rear Admiral Taylor.
chief of the bureau of construction,
and Admiral Griffin, chief of steam en-.
gineering, explained to the comh,it.
tee the situation as to the fleet sub.
marines authorized last year. Secre
tary Daniels has submitted the de.
cision Of this problem to congress,
bids on the two big submersibles al.
thorized not having fallen within the
requirements OF the act. Admiral
Taylor said one bidder would guar.
antee a 19-knot surface speed and
not the 20 knots specified in the act.
Both he and Admiral Griffin recon.
mended that the l9-knot proposal he
accepted. il the boats could not be
made to do better
Both admirals disagreed with Rear
Admiral Grant and other officers of
the submarine flotilla as to the desira-
bilty of abandoning all other types OF
submersibles for S00-ton boat similar
to those used by the German navy.
They believed 1t impossible that the
requirements as to speed, endurance
and habitability required by Admiral
Grant could be met.
Admiral Taylor recommended, how
ever, that three S0O-tOn boats be Or
dered as experiments, ordinary con.
ditions of construction to be set
aside to produce them in the shortest
possible time If the result OF this
experiment was to bear out Admiral
Grants statements, he said, it was
desirable to establish the fact as soon
as possible.
The committee reached no decision
on the question.