The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-02-27
.PREPAREDNESSNEEDi
OF NATION is SHOWN
Conference Committee BY a.
Chart Tells What Our Army
and Navy Lack
Additional Men In Both Branches
Of Service and a Mighty Air
Fleet Are Recommended


The conferences committee lon ma.
tional preparedness yesterday sent, out
a large chart containing statistics show.
ing the condition Of the army and navy,
and recommendations of steps to be
taken to make preparedness adequate.
IT is hoped through the medium Of
the chart, said the COMMITTEES, of
which Henry A. Wise Wood is chair
man, ''to extend public knowledge
and increase interest in the vital work
of national preparedness Similar bul.
letins showing progress or obstacles in
the way of upbuilding our national de.
lenses will be issued at intervals. -
On the chart the detailed informa.
tion about ships under construction or
not yet begun Is given in one table,
which shows nine battleships of the
dreadnought type projected, four battle
cruisers, four scout cruisers, twenty
eight destroyers, sixty.three coast sub.
marines, two fuel ships, two trans.
ports one supply ship, one hospital
ship, one gunboat, and one ammunition
ship. Attention is called TO the allega.
tion that difficulties with contractors
have caused such delays that "the
naval construction program faces a set.
back of the gravest nature. - ,...,..
The existing navy is treated in an
other table, which shows pa ships in
full commission and I27 not in fun
commission. OF those in full commits.
sion there are peterborough, Is
dreadnoughts, 3 armored cruisers, q
second class cruisers, 3 third class
cruisers, 80 destroyers, monitors, 80
submarines, transports, is gunboats,
4 supply ships, 20 fuel ships, con.
verted yachts, AZ tugs, s tenders to
torpedo vessels, and IA ammunition,
mine, training, surveying, repair, mine
depot, hospital; station, training, and
receiving ships. ~ r..
The ships not in full commission are
divided into three classes, those in re-
serve, held ready for service on short
notice; those in ordinary, which lack
enough officers and men, and those en-
tirely out of commission. OF the ships
in reserve there are 10 battleships, Z
armored cruisers, 4 first class cruisers,
l second class cruiser, third class
cruisers, IL destroyers, / torpedo boat,
2 monitors, 2 gunbOats, 2 special types,
and 3 receiving and station ships. OF
those in commission in ordinary there
are third class cruiser, 2 destroyers,
l monitor, 3 submarines, IL torpedo
boats, and 10 destroyers and other
boats. X t.ggssats b.. ~. 81. .,... ,tas
The ships. entirely out of commission
are q battleships, first class cruiser,
1 second class cruiser, 2 third class
cruisers, destroyer, 4 torpedo boats, 2
submarines, Z gunboats, transport, l
fuel ship, tenders to torpedo vessels,
9 converted yachts, and 8 vessels un.
suitable for war purposes.
The secretary of the navy is quoted
as saying that to put all existing ships
in commission, "the navy would be
short approximately 93S officers, S049
regulars, and 23,330 reserves, after us
ing 5000 militia and 463 fleet reserves"
Another table shows that. there are
2lll officers in the navy, against an
authorized strength of an estimated
5000, and that the present three!year
program will require 4487 officers.
There are 55,445 enlisted men in the
navy, against an authorized strength of
81 1922, and need of 99,S09 for the
threc'year program. In addition 1880
enlisted men reserves will be needed
for the completion of the program.
Details Of the plan of the three.year
program are given in another table and
following this is a statement that chan.
nels to important navy yards need to
be deepened. ay
Statistics of the army showing
strength, deficiencies, and estimated
strength after completion of the FIVE
year increment plan are presented, and
followed by figures about the national
guard and information concerning the
present status of ordnance. e., ,
At the end of the chart is an "un-
official statement of our needs" which
recommends, among other things, an
emergency appropriation of $3.50, O0O,.
900 for the navy, the speeding up of
work in ship yards, supplement Of the
three.yeaT program, the beginning Of
an air navy, an increase in the size
of the naval academy, the introduction
Of universal military training, call
for the national guard TO recruit mp 10
MAXIMUM strength, and for 100000
volunteer troops, and an'emergency APP
preparation of $250,000,O00 for the
army. .4,. ~. -" 49,. D."