Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-01-05
WOULD MAKE NAVY
Equal STRONGEST
Naval Board Says American
Fleet Must Be Made Able
to Challenge Any
Sea Power.

washington, ID. C.. Special: Tho
American navy should be equal to the
most powerful maintained by any other
nation of the world" not later han
1928, in the opinion of the navy gen.
eral BOARD. headed by Admiral Dewey.
h annual report of the board dis.
closes that this naval policy was for
mulated by the body in July last in
answer to the following proposition
propounded by Secretary Daniels when
the administration reached its decision
TO enter upon Il campaign of national
preparedness:
What the navy must be in the flu
ture to stand upon an equality with
the most efficient and most practically
s~erviceable."
The boards conclusions follow:
The navy OF the United States
should ultimately be equal to the o
powerful maintained by any other ma
ton of the world. 1t should ne gradu-
ally increased to this point by such Il
rate of development year by year. as
may be permitted by the facilities of
the country, but the limit above de-
fined should be attained not later than
1925"
Offer Building Plan.
At the same time the board presented
a building program for 1917 in COM
pliance with the secretary's request for
"a program formulated i'm the most
,uc1iilIIe IeIIHS, pldIlIleO lOf IL CONSISTENT
and progressive development of this
great defensive arm of the nation"
Details of the boards reply are not
revealed. as subsequently in October OF
this year the secretary asked the board
to prepare "a building program for the
navy that will continue over a period
of five years. with an expenditure OF
about 500, 600, 900 each year for five
years on new construction only" The
administration plan for the construc,
ton of 16 capital ships within five
years is founded on the boards answer.
At he same time the board again de-
veloped its idea of the place the Ameri-
can avy should hold in the world in
the following language:
The general board believes that the
course of the present war in Europe
affords convincing reasons for modi-
flying the opinion which it has eX-
pressed for the last IL years as to the
proper size of the navy. A navy in
firm control of the sea from the out
break of war is the prime essential to
the defense of a country. situated as
is the United States bordering upon
two great oceans. A a " strona
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 seaborne and drive that
of the enemy from the sea. The best
way to accomplish all these objects IL
to find and defeat the hostile fleet or
any of its ~detachments at a distance
prevent interruption of u norma,
course of national life. The current
war has shown that II navy of the size
: recommended by this board in previous
years can no longer be considered as
adequate to the defensive needs of the
United States. Our present navy il
not sufficient to give due weight to
the diplomatic remonstrances of the
United States in peace nor to enforce
it's policies in war;
Cut Down by Daniels.
The report lays stress upon the
boards proposal that seven of the 1G
| new ships. our superdreadnaughts and
three battle cruisers be authorized in
1916. Secretary Daniels has recon-
mendcd to congress. however, that only
two dreadnaughts and two battle cruis-
ers be authorized at this time. Under
the boards plan the total expenditure
for the five years. including 100000
for the aviation service and $1,000 900
for reserve ammunition and material,
would be s499.S7 900, the last appro-
priations for which would be made in
1929; the secretary's recommendations
call for a total expenditure of $500, 482,-
pa. the last appropriations shown be-
ing for 1921. and increases being made
1 over the boards estimates for subma-
rines and reserve ammunition. The
board program cOntemplates the build
ing of 13 fleet auXiliarleS. while the
secretary recommends only six.
The board highly commends the pro-
posal to establish a continuing build
| ing policy for the navy. saying it will
stabilize the warship building industry
in the country and tend to reduce con-
tract prices for new ships.
John Hays Wow of Mcclellan.
Ecop, tho New York Tfmos