Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-12-19
ACADEMY CAN
 NOT FURNISH
 COMM MANDfRS
Naval Committee Asks An Increase of Navy From
 l31,000 to 2l7,OO0 Men.

Washington, Dec. 1S.-Legislation
 ent enlisted strength of the navy from
 131 ,O0O men to 217.O0O was recom-
 mended to the House Naval Affairs Committee today by Captain H. Lam ing, acting chief of the Bureau of Navigation. This would include 175.- GOO seamen, 24.000 apprentice sea- men and firemen in training, 12,000 in trade schools for training, and G. i 900 in the flying corps.
 Captain Laning explained that this l large increase of men is needed to carry out the policy of the Naval l Bureau of Operations. as decommend- ed to the Naval Affairs Committee
 by Read Admiral Badger last Thurs
 day, of making the navy of the Uni
 ted States equal to the most pOwer-
 full maintained by any nation of the world.
 "Unless an increase in the person. mel is authorized" Captain Laning said, mo expansion program can be
 carrieid out. The navy was terribly | handicapped by lack of men even 1 before the United States entered the i war Ships were only half manned 1 and as fighting units were almost l useless. 1t was not until early this year that the number of men became l sufficient. When the naval reserve
 force is demobilized at the end of the 1 National Emergency, as required by present laws, the navy personnel will be even more inadequate than it was ] two years ago." Captain Laning also Amphaszed l that the need for more officers ir
 the regular navy and submitted a l plan by which they might be obtain i ed. It provided that permanent com
 missions in the regular navy be giv. 1 en to temporary command officers of the navy and of the naval reserve force upon their passing examinations l and also that the naval reserve off, 1 cers be retained in the service as long as they are needed.
 Chairman Padgett objected to the l plan, saying it would break down the present system of obtaining of ficers through the naval academy
 he incentive for going to the academy "OAAN CS AOoC, AAC ooAO, II 1ICu COulu get commissions without going thrd the four year course at Annapolis. eff the navy depends upon the
 academy for its officers" Captain Laning replied. "it can never get the required number. Only 600 off,
 cers are graduated yearly from the
 school. while there will be a short age of 5000 as soon as the tempor- ary commissions are revoked. Over eight years would elapse before the I required number could be obtained,
 even if there would not be single
 retirement in that period'
 The advisability of authorizing big
 increases in the navy personnel at
 the present time was questioned by ,, Representative Kelly. of Michigan. A"Why not hold steady until :r.e
 peace conference is ended and We see how things standV' he asked. Ut may be that all navies except one
 controlled by all the powers will be done away with. In that evea.,
 money we spend now would be vast ed."
 Captain Laning replied that that
 may be advisable if other nations
 looked at in in the same light, but if they continue their expansion it would be foolhardy for the United
 States to sit back and allow them to get big lead.
 "As Admiral Badger said, a second
 rate navy is almost as bad as none at all," he added
 A letter from Secretary Daniels recommending that the increased pay of enlisted men be made permanent was read into the record ny Chair
 man Padgett.