The north Mississippi herald. (Water Valley, Yalobusha Co., Miss.) 1888-1929, 1918-12-20
U. S. TO BUILD
STRONGEST NAVY
in THE WORLD
Navy Man Tells House
Committee E n d of
Hostilities and League
of Nations Must Not
Change Plans.


Neither the end of hostilities MOI
proposals for a league of nations ha:
altered the policy of the general boarc
Of the navy in regard to making the
American navy second to none in the
world. Rear Admiral Charles j
Badger, chairman of the executive
committee of the board, told the house
naval affairs committee that the navy
should be equal to that of any other
nations by 1926 and urged that
sufficient appropriations to make this
possible be made by congress.
"The general board believes that
under the present world conditions
and the conditions likely to obtain in
the future" Admiral Badger said,
the United States navy should
steadily continue to increase. Ulti-
mately it should be equal to the most
powerful maintained by any other
nation of the world. Year by wear
development should be made as con-
sistent with the facilities of the coun-
try, but the limit above defined should
be attained not later than 1926.
To Support League.
Navies must be the principal sup
port of league of nations, and the
United States from its wealth, influ-
ence and power, will be called upon
to contribute large share of the
international police force to render
the service of league effective.
''Duty of the navy in the future. !"
the admiral said, Twill be not only to
guard the country against invasion.
but to protect as we'll the great mer-
chant marine now being built.
"Sea power win always remain a
factor Of vast Importance in interna-
tional relations" Admiral Badger
declared. THE great naval lesson
81 nasssssIne ss r ts mosn hssn uosrh Sas tha aI9
was able in few weeks to drive the
German merchant flag from the seas
and to keep open her own trade
routes, and yet, when the war COM
menced, Germany possessed the sec
ond best navyi the world. 1t prov
ed to be not good enough. The block
ade which she was not able to break
was the greatest contributing cause of
her ultimate collapse"
Completion of the three-year build
ing program authorized in 1915 and
which was halted to build antisubma-
Il @ ,rait, was fc e.niQaded ~ Adj
miral Badger. Work has not se.
been started on six battleships, six
battle cruisers, two scout cruisers,
nine fleet submarines, two destroyer
tenders and one fleet submarine
tender, he said. Lack of ships of this
type, he declared, would have been
fatal to the United States if it had
been fighting the war alone.
Big Building Plan.
"The submarine program calls for
2l feet submarines, 146 type, "a
submarines and AZ mine layers" he
said. "There are now built, build
ing or authorized total of 169 coast
submarines and IL fleet submarines.
The general board estimates that a
total of 294 S type boats are required
and recommends that rs be authoriz-
ed now. The British navy has now
built, or building, 228 submarines of
which about 75 are of the large or
feet type"
Admiral Badger emphasized the
need for additional mine sweepers
and patrol vessels, and spoke of the
development during the war of the
airplane carrier. Fleet engagements
will be preceded in the future by
operations in the air, he stated, and
the general board recommends that
the fleet be provided with facilities
to carry on such operations.
Disposition of the ships surrender
ed by Germany rests with the peace
conference, Admiral Badger stated in
response Co questions at the close OF
the meetings as to whether or not he
thought these vessels should be de.
stroyed, returned or distributed
among the allies.
''If England gets the lions share
of those ships," asked Representative
Kelly, of Michigan, Republican, "dC
you still think we should build to the
point where we would have navy
equal to hers?"
"The necessity Of the United State.
navy Being equal to the most power
ful maintained by any other natior
In the world by 1925 is as great nov
as it has ever been," replied the ad
miral. "This may not be possible b,
1925 if he German ships are dis
tributed in large numbers to certain
powers, but we should do it as speedi
~ as possible"
No Policy Decided.
In reply to question of Repre-
sentative Butler whether the genera
board had adopted any general poll
cy In regard to the distribution O
fleets in the Atlantic and Pacifl
oceans, Admiral Badger said that n
policy had been recommended as yet
An account of the development
and scope Of activities Of German sub
marines was given by Admiral Badg
er. Ter, years ago the submarine wa
not larger than $50 tons, could cruis
less than 500 miles and was ver.