Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-02-23
General Boards Plan in 1908
Was to Build More Power
full Ships Than Kaiser Would
Have, Is Statement
NAVAL STRENGTH TO
EQUAL ENGLAND'S
United States Authorities No
Longer Satisfied to Be Even
Second Sea Power of the
World,

fHT MORNING. JOURNAL eeecNb "'''i
Washington, Feb. 22.-The object
Of the building policy formulated IN
1903 by the navy general board t
was disclosed today before the house
naval committee, was to keep the
United states ahead Of Germany in
the race for naval supremacy. The
Statement was made by Rear Admiral
Charles J. Badget, a member of the
general board, who explained that the
policy had contemplated fleet Or
forty eight first line battleshlps py
1919 to accomplish its purpose.
Real Object of Program.
The statement did not go into the
record of the hearing and Admiral
Badger did not amplify it to show
why the board had thought such Il
course necessary. The admiral was
replying to a suggestion that the OBJ
icct 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 il had, he said, the real object
was to keep ahead of Germany.
Wants Fleet Equal OF Any.
This wear the board fixed as its
policy the creation by 1925 Of a fleet
equal to the most powerful~atlost1S ~.
that time. The committee dir 1b
so into the boards reasons for chang
ing its ideas beyond drawing out the
explanation that the board believed
"A fleet ten per cent superior to any
fighting force that might be brought
against il would be necessaf.f TO in :
sure against the invasion of American
soil by an enemy.
The German Naval Strength.
Gnder questioning by Representa-
tive Kelley, Admiral Badger said the
construction of three additional
dreadnaughts and eight battle cruis-
crs would place the navy on par
with the capital ships of the German
fleet today. Germany now has twen-
ty-two drcadnaughts ana eight battle
cruisers, he said, according to the
best available information. while the
United states has all told nineteen
ships of the dreadnaught class, or
building.
The British Fleet.
To equal Great Britains probable
fleet within two years, Admiral Bad
ger said the United States would be
obliged to have total force of forty
dreadnaughts, fifteen battle cruisers,
twenty-five swift scouting craft, 200
submarines and $50 destroyers. He
was not favorng such program,
but merely answering questions by
Representative Butler. Such fleet
could not be built in two years, he
added. though il might be construct
cd in four.
Could Not Build % at Once.
Representative Butler said con-
struction erperts Of the navy had told
the committee that the maximum
number Of capital ships that could
be laid down at one time in the Unit
ed States was twenty-five and that
they could be completed in two years
if the skilled labor could be found,
Admiral Badger thought the armor
output would not permit such rapid
construction and Representative But
Ter agreed, saying he had been told
"by the man who sells armor to the
government" that the maximum pos
sihle output was $4,000 tons a year,
or enough to equip eight or nine
heavy ships.
Nrmor Plate Limited.
Chairman Padgett remarked that
the armor manufacturers had told
the investigating commission last year
that they could produce only $4,000
tons annually
I'm urging q great increase IN the
fleet Admiral Badger said he did not
wish to be understood as saying th9
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