Norwich bulletin., 1918-12-31
DanieIsSays0urNavy Must Bettle Greatest
Advocates $500, GOO, ,OOO B Year Building Program Shows the Strengths of Large Navies.

Washington, Dec. SO.-UnleSS. a league of nations or other tribunal that will make certain the limitation of in- ternational armanfent is established, the United States must build the greatest navy in the world, Secretary Daniels today told the house naval committee.
 1t is my firm conviction" declared the secretary, that if the conference at Versailles does not result in a gen. eral agreement to put an end to naval building on the part of all the nations, then the United States must bend her will and bend her energies, must give her men and give her money to the task of the creation of incOmparably the greatest navy in the world"
 With the completion of the proposed new three year building program, adding ten dreadnoughts, six battle cruisers, ten scout cruisers and 190 smaller craft to the fleet, America still will rank second in naval strength to Great Britain, said the secretary, who appeared before the committee to make his final, recommendations for the 1920 naval bill, which the commit tee is considering.
 Does the president back the policy to make us the first naval power in the world?" asked Representative Kelly of Michigan
 'Yes,. if competitive building is to continue" said MT. Daniels. I've are now easily the second naval power | but this program will not make us the first"
 The naval secretary said that if a l league of nations is established Amer ica must provide large part of world police force necessary to en- force the leagues decrees. He added however, that with such a league 1 formed 1t would not be necessary t. carry out the full construction ire l gram and asked the committee t9 in clude in the bill legislation empower 1 ing the president to stop construction at his discretion if an internationa agreement should make limitation o armament a certainty.
 In reducing from 0,O00, 900 to $55, 100000 the amount asked for work ol the new building program during th | year beginning next July, Secretar. Daniels said that some further con l struction was necessary because w i want some more modern ships in ou
 police force"
 MT. Daniels gave the committee
 report showing the relative strength
 of the navies of/ the leading nation
 of the world. Figures for the Japanes : navy were not available, it was sait The United States, witk the sec9n' largest navy in the world. has built c projected 39 battleships, six battl
 cruisers eight armorad cruisers, 1 light cruisers, 342 destroyers. 1S1 sub
 marines, 15 coast torpedo vessels, l
 torpedo boats and 5s9 other vessels.
 France has 29 battleships, T cruis CTS, eight light cruisers, 92 destroy er' i, 191 torpedo boats, 70 submarines, s3 { airships and 18S other craft.
 Italy has IS battleships seven cruis
 CTS. ten light cruisers, five monitor
 h fiotilla leaders, 4 destroyers , torpedo boats s. submarines, 30 ail ships and 442 miscellaneous vessels. Russia before quit ing the war m
 eighteen battleships, four battle cru 1 sers, twelve. heavy and nine ligl cruisers, 129 destroyers, 54 subma f rines, 13 torpedo boats, 14 airships an $ SC miscellaneous vessels.
 Before the armistice was signe |, Germany had 47 battle ships. six ba tie CT Iisers. 5l other cruisers. 223 d. f stroyers, 175 torpedo boats, Z43 sui = marines and J54 miscellaneous Vei
 sels.
 Besides the reduction for the ne building program, the secretary SUI
 mitted new estimates reducing the t tai asked for the nevE during the ne L year to $995, 1909, ,00O. The original e e inmates submitted to congress, dray l. while the war still was in progrcs is totalled S2,66i, ,307, ,000. The secreta 1T recommended no permanent increa j. in personnel, but asking for q temp 1t rary increase to c50,0.0 men until aft h the peace conference, when defini > policy as to the permanent estabi's
 ment can be formed. A huge increa f, in personnel was contemplated if t e. war had continued the estimat ;- originally calling for $579,945,000 2. In urging the adoption by congre > of the new three year building pr l. gram, Secretary Daniels said the pr
 gram was conservative" He al r. sad that construction of big shi ' delayed during the war so that sm
 craft to fight submarines could . built, will be pushed as rapidly as DC
 sible. $ Referring to, the possible failure l. establishment of league, the secl l. tary said that America in proteci " small nations and preserving the fre Q dom of the seas must have ma l. as powerful as that of any nation r. the world"