Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-08-09
EDITOR
Building Our Navy

Americans have always been proud OF their army
but when the army completes the immediate bust
ness for which it has been assembled it is supposed
TO 60 home.
The navy, however, has always been rated as al
arm Of the fighting and defensive power that SHOULD
always be kept at the highest state Of efficiency. =
1t is that in time of or rumors of war the frs
appropriations have been for the navy, and as
as the people feel confident that the development
the navy is going forward on plan equal to tn
occasion, they breathe sigh Of relief and feel rca
sonably safe.
Perhaps Secretary Daniels appreciated this fact
and 80 recently gave to the public sketch of wha
record breaking and comprehensive navy building
plan has been made possible through the appropria
tiOns made by Congress-
1t Is safe to assume that the work is being carried
forward with all possible despatch though the mel
who have for years advocated larger navy may ex
perence a SILVER Of doubt when they read the word
now building, or projected In days gone by tn
nightmare Of active men has been the list of detail
long remaining under the head "projected."
But necessity and danger at the door drive am
one experiences much satisfaction in reading tn
statement of the secretary that with the shipway
now being built or projected, United States nav
yards will be able to have in course of construction
in addition to submarines and submarine chasers
Continuing the secretary gives an outline of th
naval construction campaign which is at one
gratifying and impressive. He says:
"Seven of the vessels could be b. .tleshps, tw
auxilaries, such as transports, fuel ships hospita
ships, ETC., and seven destroyers Should the need
OF the nation require battle cruisers instead of bat
tleships, it would be possible to substitute them OF
fhn 0lS R1~
GAS much work must be done on vessels before tn
keels are laid and after launching, there could b.
under construction at time in the yards at leas
double the number of vessels for which slips ar
available. This construction work is in addition
to the repair work and rebuilding of the fleet which
must be carried on.
There are now under construction in govern
ment yards three batteships, four destroyers, AM
number of submarines and submarine chasers II
1912 the shipbuilding facilities of the navy yard
consisted of one ways for battleships at New Yorl
and one ways at Mare Island for auxiliares At tn
beginning of the present year the facilities avail
able were: Boston, auxiliary New York, bat
tleship; Philadelphia, l auxiliary; Norfolk 1 des
troyer; Charleston, gunboat; Mare Island, bat
tleship and destroyer. At Portsmouth y. H.. w
now have four ways for submarines which mean
one time The navy yard at Boston has one ways TO
auxiliaries.
'The navy yard at New York now has a ways TO
largesized battleships, and second is being bull
for battleships. At Philadelphia there i'll be tw
ways, one for large battleships or battle cruiser
and another for large battleships third, alread
built, is used for auxiliary vessels.
Norfolk has one ways for destroyers and will
hov for hoff
five ways for destroyers. The navy yard at Puge
Sound will provide slip for one battleship. an
Mare Island has ways for large battleship and 70
destroyer.
'The new building plans involve not only tn
construction of ways but also machine. electrical
structural, forge and pattern shops, in addition t.
foundries, storehouses, railroad tracks and powe
plants. We must also secure electrical machiner,
and tools as well employ thousands of skilled AM
unskilled laborers.
"The increase in building capacity also provide
more repair resources, enabling the government
yards to handle all repair and rebuilding work TO-
the feet, as we'll as much for the new merchan
marine. Owing to the fact that we had only .
small merchant marine previous to the war thu
drydock and repair facilities of commercial char
acter were restricted. We had some small CONNER
cial docks but few large enough to care for the BIZ
ships in the ocean trades, and none for ships sucl
as the Lusitania, Vaterland and Olympic. Most o
the large ships docked in England or Germany AM
when docked here permission had to be secured TO
the use of naval docks
There are now three naval docks under construc
ton which will be capable of handling the larges
ships and two similar private docks are being built
one at San Francisco and one at Boston. which
being built by private company and the state o
Massachusetts, These are being encouraged by tn
government by annual guarantees for dockage