Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-02-23
AMERICA PLANS A
BIGGER NAVY THAN
THAT OF GERMANY
Object of Building Policy Of United
States Formulated in 1908 to
Surpsss Teuton Power
on Sea.
THIS NOT SUFFICIENT NOW
Present Program is to Have Fleet
Equal to Greatest Within
Ten Years.
ADMIRAL BADGER IS WITNESS

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-The
object of the building policy for
mulated in 1903 by the navy gem
eial board, IL was disclosed today
before the house naval committee,
was to keep the United States ahead
CT Germany in the race for naval
supremacy. The statement was
made by Rear Admiral Charles j.
Badger, a member of the general
board. who explained that the policy
had contemplated a fleet of forty
eight first line battleships by 1919
to accomplish its purpose.
The statement did not go into the
record Of the hearing and Admiral
Badger did not amplify II to show
why the board had thought such a
course necessary. The admiral was
replying to a suggestion that the
object OF the old policy, abandoned
this year by the board for the first
time, was to keep the American navy
in second place. While that was
the effect it had. he said, the real
object was to keep ahead of Ger
many.
Change of Policy.
This year the board fixed as it's policy
the creation by 1925 of fleet equal 10
the most powerful afloat at that time.
The committee did not go into the board :
reasons for changing it's ideas beyond
drawing out the explanation that the
board believed that a fleet 10 per cent
superior to any fighting force that might
be brought against Il would be necessary
to insure against the invasion OF Ameri.
can soil by an enemy.
Under Questioning by Representative
Kelley. Admiral Badger said the con.
struction of three additional dread.
naughts and eight battle. cruisers would
place the navy on a par with the capita
ships OF the German fleet today Ger.
many now has twenty-five dreadnaughtl
and eight battle cruisers. he said. ac
cording to the best available Information
while the United states has all teld nine
teen ships OF the dreadnausht class.
To equelzGreat Britain's probable nee
within two years. Admiral Badger saI,
the United States would be Obliged Z,
have a total force Of forty dreadnaughts
fifteen battle cruisers, Twenty-Five swif
scouting craft. 900 submarines ana 80 de
strcyers. He was not favoring such ,
program. but merely answering questions
by Representative Butler. Such a flee
could not be built in two years. he added
though It might be constructed in four.
just Not BiE Enough.
In urging a great increase in the flee
Admiral Badger said he did not wish L
be understood as saying the present fore
WAS not thoroughly efficient one.
IT did not want to give the irnpres
sion," he added. that our fleet is n
good. The only trouble with It is tina
It is not big epough for possibilities. IT.
a good fleet, well drilled, we'll equlppe
and we'll organized. We are now pre-
pared just as far as our power will per
NIT us to be. More power means NOR
ships"
Regarding the present place O, tn
United states fleet among the navies o
the world Admiral Badger said he classe
it as third in fighting power with Franc
close fourth.
IT think we are No. g." he said. "Japa
is coming along, but has a good deal I
do to equal our fleet. In military power
fighting efficiency-1 think we are
pretty good third, with France not ia
behind"