Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-08-21
AIMS At GREATEST
DESTROYER FLEET
Daniels Seeks The Doubling or
Trebling Of Output.
CONFERENCE WITH BUILDERS
Maximum Capacity Of Yards To Be
Used Secretary Heeds Advice
OF Naval Officers.

immediate expansion of shipbuild-
ing facilities in the United States to
double or treble the output of de-
stroyers during the next eighteen
months was the object of a confer
ence yesterday between Secretary
Daniels and representatives of twen-
ty-fve or more ship and engine build
ers at Washington.
IF we get what we want" the
Secretary said, the United States
will have more destroyers than any
other power They are the one thing
that submarine fears
The Secretary indicated that all the
destroyers which the builders could
produce would be ordered Every ef-
fort of the department will be used
in speeding up work on the large
number of contracts pending.
Every aspect of shipbuilding that
bears on destroyer production was
taken up at the conference. There is
no shortage of material or plant
facilities, but a difficulty lies in OBJ
tanning high-power engines, boilers,
and reduction gear.
Secretary Daniels said no addi-
tional submarine chasers would be
ordered at present The chasers are
valuable for harbor and in-shore-
patrol work, but the destroyers are
far superior even for these duties and
have in addition sea-going qualities
which make them of far greater value
in all ways than the small chasers.
Every suggestion that the ship or
engine builders had to make as TO
additional motive power for the de-
stroyers was given close attention.
The possibility of equipping some OF
the new vessels with oil engines was
among the suggestions offered.
AS to the plants at which the new
destroyers will be laid down, Secre-
tary Daniels said he favored expan-
sion of those now building destroy
ers as the most efficient means Of
speeding up Experience gained in
previous building will enable such
plants to turn out new ships more
quickly, ii is felt than would be pos
sible for new plant lacking that
experience.
Secretary Daniels decision shows
that the officers who have been con-
tending that the best answer to the
U-boat was to turn out an enormous
number of destroyers have carried
their point The experience of all al
lied navies that the destroyer is more
deadly to submarines than any other
type of craft is borne out by reports
from Vice Admiral Sims, founded on
the actual experience of American
destroyers in European waters.
Another aspect is the problem of
furnishing conveys to troops and sup
ply ships, which will grow as Ameri-
can forces in France are increased.
Many officers believe that destroyer
conveys guarantee a large degree of
security from submarine attack. The
thing needed. in their view, is an ade-
quate number of destroyers to make
certain that supply lines are not in
terrupted. The department apparent
ly has approved this view.
No figures have been made public
of the number of the destroyers now
building. Secretary Daniels said that
they represented the maximum capac-
ity of the country. To increase that
capacity will require the expansion of
every existing plant and the addition
of new engine and boiler works