The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-09-29
(By LEMUEL P. PADGETT, Chair. N.an, House Naval Affairs.
 Committee.

Nan, House Naval Affairs.
 s Committee.
 In view of the widespread interest throughout the country in the subject of preparedness, and especially the in terest of the people in the navy, and, in view of the many unjust criticisms and untrue reports which have been pub lished broadcast throughout the coun- try, I accept this opportunity to call at- tention to the achievements and ac- complishments of preceding adminis- trationS.
 In so doing I have full confidence that the facts will bear testimony to the splendid constructive work of the present administration and willNrefute the untrue charges and misstatements, relating to the Navy, which have been circulated generally throughout the country and will demonstrate to the people that the present administration and the present Secretary, Josephus Daniels, deserve the highest praise for the results accomplished.
 In pursuance of the declarations of the Democratic platform and of Pres ident Wilson, thorough investigations were made by the Navy Department and by the committees of Congress with the view of determining, first, the fighting efficiency of the present naval establishment, as regards its person. mel and material; second, the means to be adopted to increase the efficiency of the personnel and material, and third, the necessary legislation to provide the personnel and material to render the naval establishment more nearly ade- quate to defend the interests of the United States, and place our navy, the first line of defense, in greater state of preparedness.
 As to the first of these Investigations, the Wilson administration found the navy short of officers, short of men, short of fighting craft, short of air craft, short of munitions and with an organization in the Navy Department that did not effect proper efficiency. The navy was not balanced and not ad- equate, nor was there at any time a continuous policy to render the navy adequate or well balanced. While it is true that the General Naval Board had a policy for AS ships of the first line by 1919, no Secretary of the Navy had ever adopted the recommendations | of the General Board in the annual estimates to Congress. Owing to this | lack of fixed policy or system, our | navy under Republican administra-
 tions was allowed to drop prior to 1911
 from second to third place.
 In an attempt to prevent our navy dropping still further in relative
 strength, due to haphazard policies,
 President Wilson, in his message to
 Congress in December, 1915, urged the adoption of well-considered and a well-proportioned continuing program for the construction of new vessels. AL though the General Board since 1903
 had constantly recommended a con-
 tinuing program that would have given
 the United States AS battleships by
 under President Wilson, that the rec
 ommendation of the General Board for l a well-balanced continuing program
 was adopted and both houses of Con- l gress have approved that policy. The l action of the administration and of Congress means that the New Ameri- | can Navy, will be developed along the lines of a fixed, definite, continuing policy and that our first line of de- | fense will not be built in haphaz- ard fashion, as heretofore.
 The continuing program authorized | in the last naval bill which has now passed both houses of Congress and J has been approved by the President ! will shortly assure the United States a ] well-proportioned navy, second in | strength in the navies of the world, and authorizes construction in an amount that will tax the capacity of private shipbuilders as well as the shipbuilding facilities of the govern ment for the next three years.