Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-08-28
PRAISE TO SWANSON
Credit of Naval Appropriation Due to
Virginia Senator.
fRu Special Correspondent

Washington, D. c., Aug. 2S-To
Senator Claude. A. Swanson OF Vlr-
ginia must go the chief praise for
the final passage by Congress of the
Naval appropriation bill, containing a
three-year program of naval con-
struction that will give the United
States the second largest navy of the
world and meet the nationwide de-
mand for greater preparedness on
the sea to resist invasion and enforce
our rights abroad.
The House Naval affairs Commit
tee, of course, prepared and had
passed by the House bill provld-
ing for Greater increases in the navy
than hau been made in recent years.
but it was Senator Swanson, as Act
ing Chairman the Senate Naval
Committee, who incorporated in the
bill the three-year building program
providing for 157 ships as compared
to the u provided by the House.
AS major factors in the passage of
legislation to bring about greater
preparedness of the Army and Navy
to meet the universal popular de-
mand, Senator Swanson, of Virginia,
as the moving spirit in the Senate
Naval Committee, and Congressman
James Hay, of Virginia, as chairman
of the House Military Committee, and
Trainer of the Army bill, stand out in
great prominence.
In addition to the general items in
the Naval bill Senator Swanson adj
ded $4,000 for lease of storage faci-
lities adjoining the Norfolk Navy
Yard, and $6,OO0,0O0 to equip the
Norfolk Navy Yard SO as to build
capital ships, besides retaining in
the bill several items to appropriate
about $5,00O,OO0 to build a new
machine shop and make other i'm
provements at Norfolk.
Just glance at the building pro-
gram of the Navy as provided in the
bill as it passed the House, and the
program laid out when the bill came
from the Senate Naval Committee
will show clearly the hand taken b.
Senator Swanson, as chairman of the
committee, in bringing the United
States navy from fourth to SECOND
place in rank. among the Navies Of
the world.
The House bill provided: Battle
cruisers 5, scout cruisers A, torpedo.
boats 10, submarines so, fuel ship:
/, hospital ships l, ammunition ships
l.
The Senate bill provides: Battle
ships (dheadnoughts) 10, battle
cruisers 6, scout cruisers 10, torpedo
boats SO, submarines GS, fuel ships 8
ammunition ships 2, hospital ships l
repair ships l, transport /, destroyer
tenders 2, fleet submarine tenders
bunboats 2.
The House authorized ~ ships to b
built at once. The Senate Bill au
/ thorizcd construction of 157 ships ii
three years, 66 of which are to be be.
gun as soon as possible, the construc
ton of the remainder to be begun
prior to July l, 1919.
The Naval bill also provides fol
increasing the number of men in thu
Navy from $1,000 to $4,000. The
House bill authorized G1,500 enlisted
men, $500 apprentice seamen, and
$3.50 additional marines. The Senate
bill authorizes $4,000 enlisted men il
the Navy, 5000 apprentice seamen
and 5000 additional marines, or ar
increase of $50 men in both arms
OF the service, and in addition 4Os
men in the hospital corps.
The Senate bill also gives the
President authority, in case of &
national emergency. to increase the
Navy to $1,000 men, and the enlisted
strength of the Marine Corps to IT,.
400 men.
Senator Swanson fully realized that
it was important the Naval Militia
should be put on an equal basis with
the National Guard, and that unless
this was done, the Naval Militia,