The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-01-01
navy Equal 10 any.
GENERAL BOARD WOULD HAVE
U.S.. TAKE THIS AS GOAL.
Fleet SUFFICIENT to Drive Commerce OF
Any Enemy From the Sea Declared
Necessary.

Necessary.
Washington. Dec. 2S.-The Ameri-
can Navy should be equal to the
most powerful maintained by any 9TH
er nation OF the world" not later than
1926, In the opinion Of the Navy Gen.
eral Board, headed by Admiral Dew
cy ff tF H..
The, annual report Of the board,
made public recently. discloses that
this naval policy was formulated by
the body in July last in answer to the
following propositions propounded by
Secretary Daniels when the admins
tration arrived at its decision to enter
upon a campaign Of national prepar-
edness:g 49,.
What the navy must be In the fu-
ture in order to stand upon an equality
with the most efficient and most prac-
tically serviceable."
The boards conclusions follow:
The navy Of the United States
kshould ultimately be equal to the
most powerful maintained by any
other nation Of the world. 1t should
be gradually increased to this point by
such a rate of development, year by
year. as may be permitted by the
facilities of, the country. but the limit
above defined should be attained not
later than 1926"
The board again developed it's idea
Of the place the American navy
should hold in the world IN the. fol-
lowing language:
'sThe General Board believes that
the course of the present war in Eu-
rope affords convincing reasons for
modifying the opinion which It has
! expressed for the last II years al to
the proper size Of the navy. A navy
tn Arm control Of the seas from the
outbreak OF war 10 the prime essential
ITO the defense Of country situated
Fas Is the United States. bordering mp
on two great oceans. A navy strone
enough only to defend our coast from
actual invasion will not suffice. De.
Tense from invasion is not the only
function OF the navy. 1t must protect
our sea-borne commerce and drive
that of the enemy from the sea. The
best waytto accomplish all these OBJ.
t1ects ,is to find and defeat the hostile
feet oraany Of Its detachments at 9
distance from our coast sufficiently
great tosprevent interruption OF ou,
tnbr.nal cpAFss OF national life. The
tcurrent war has shown that navy OF
the size recommended; by this board
In preyiQNs years can no longer be
lconsidersd oas adequate to the defen.
stve needs, OF the United States. Our
present navy is not sufficient to Civ.
kdue weight to the diplomatic remon
straces OF the United States in peac,
nor to enforce Its policies in war;"
1.-THE report lays stress upon the
boards proposal that Of the 1e new
ships. 4 superdreadnaughts and u
battle cruisers, be authorized In 1915
Secretarvs Daniels has recommends
to congress, however. that only two
dreadnaughts and two battle cruiser.
be authorized at this time. Under tn,
boards plan the total expenditure fol
the five years, including $1,000. 900 FOL
the aviation service and $11,OO0,0 ,00(
for reserve ammunition and material
would be $49s,S76,o0o. the last ap
preparations for which would hi
made In. 1922; the secretary's recon
mendations call for a total expendi
ture Of S5o2,4S2,e14, the last appro
priations shown being for 1921. and
increases being made over the board.
estimates for submarines and reserv,
ammunition. The board program
contempiates the building Of 13 flee
II
auxiliaries. while the secretary recon-
mends only six. J
The board reviews the course o.
the European war, so farFas 1t involv
ed naval actions. to reach this con
clusion: M
"As TO types Of ships, the battleshir
lis still the principal reliance of navies
as 1t has been In the past.'
Because of the great naval superior.
lity Of the Entente Allies the repor
tsays. their control Of the seas ha.
never been seriously challenged and
they. have securely held the objec.
tive Of all naval effort" Naval war,
fare has been confined. by reason OF
this superiority. 1t states. to "a double
series OF minor Incidents" In the
first group It places German com.