Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-12-09
SECRETARY DANIELS
ASKS FOR INCREASE
IN NAVAL FORCES
Construction Program Calls
for an Expenditure
Of S600,000,0GC.
ASKS CONGRESS PROVIDE
1856 LARGE VESSELS
Ten cf< Tii>se Will Be Battle
ships and Six Are to Be
Cruisers.
REVIEWS PRESENT OUTFIT
Naval Official Draws Interesting
comparison Regarding Various
Fleets After Reading Message.
REVIEWS PRESENT OUTFIT
Naval Official Draws Interesting
comparison Regarding Various
Fleets After Reading Message.

WASHINGTON December Amer.
Gas determination to possess a navy
p' constantly increasing strength and
"ficicncy-fully capabl. Of preserving
ana maintaining It's newly won position
! amchS the nations o! the worlds
officially expressed by Secretary OF the
Navy Daniels in his annual report 10
The President. made public today.
notwithstanding the cessation OF
hostiiities and the approaching peace
conference, Secretary Daniels strongly
urges the continued uphuilding az the
navy. specifically asking for the au-
thor!tzation OF another three year con-
.lruction program 10 cost s6Ooyo0.-
This substantially duplicates the
amount appropriated in 1918. when
ne world war was raging in all its
ihry and which constituted the first
. comprehensive building program ever
authorized for the navy.
me new program arranged To cover
he construction o! total OF 1856 new
vessels. Ten OF these are TO be bat
tesnips and SIX OF theil battle cruis-
trs
The other $50 vessels are not spec
iAed in the recomms ndatlons II ~
simply asked tina; ihey be OF type.
already approved and IN existence or
o, new types which may develop during
ihe !ife Of the program. the details
Navy Department.
NEW PROGRAM WILL
EMHRACE MANY TYPES
The secretary adds that the new ship
construction should embrace craft Of
every description which the expert
: ence OF the war has demonstrated 10
. he necessary TO the efficient, and SYM
alctrical development of the navy. Com
meniins on his recommendations he
says;
N The new threesSeaE program is a
seant.nuaiion OF the policy adopted in
ltls OF increasing the navy and con-
Improvement. 1t is in line with the
r9iey adopted by this government and md
>pnvai OF the American people, or build
lnh up n navy strong enough 10 meet
~! requirements.
siess, as am confident IL win be-
WI! give us sixteen additional capital
snips. which viii be the equal OF any
ahoat at the time they are built The
hatticships and bateie cruisers in the
th'ee-ycar program will be unexcelied
by those OF any other navy. and the
country may rest assured that in the
new construction authorized our CON
structors viii produce the most power
iul ana effective or fighting craft"
The total estimates Tor ship CON
sjruciion involved in the new program
including nrmor and arna mcnt ag-
crcgate 9I2.090000.
Tho amount recommended for appro-
priation next year for the complexion
for vessels already authorizcu is si57.-
76s, oo0
Inc entire naval budget for the year
l92o totals s2,Gii,3G7.oi6 .o5. by far the
largest sum Congress has ever been
requested to provide for the navv IN
single measure. These figures were
prepared before the signing OF the ar
mistice. and the secretary states that
after study Of the needs of the
service by the department heads they
viii undergo material reduction.
Naval aviation is 10 be continued
and developed upon larger scale tau
ever before. The budget "a n
item of S226. .000,000 for this purpose
aiSo includes an emergency fund Of
al torpedo boat destroyers. submarines
aud Submar rine chaScrS
LARGE INCREASES IN PAY
ARR: ALSO RECOMMENDED
Large increases are also recommend
ed for the pay OF men and officers
for subsistence In lalS up TO October
]. $50 ships We're launched, including
one gunboat. ninety three destroyers
twenty-nine submarines and twenty six
mine sweepers, four Fabricated patrol
vessels and two seasoing tugs.
During the year the department con
tracted FOR four battleships. one bat
lie cruiser. two fuei ships. one trans
post. one gunboat one ammunition ship.
2.3 destroyers. fifty eight submarines
IL: fabricated patrol vessels ninety
Two submarine chaSGrs. fifty-one mine
swcepers. twenty-five seagoing tugs
and forty-six harbor tugs. besides
L lighters. DargeS and other harbor craft.
REPOIlr RECORDS SOME
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
The report tells Of notable achieve
mcnts in ordnance ana for the first
time the public is permitted TO know
rious Kinds which helped win the war
y star she'll was developed which
when fired in the vicinity of an enemy
will Eight up: making each ship Wis
bic and rendering them easy targets
without disclosing the position of the
attackers.
4 new high explosive, named TWIN
was developed TO Lake the place OF
INT, Of which there was serious
lecoil aircraft gun which is pronounced
by experts of the world to be =,
great milestone in aircraft arma-
The report also refers to the invcn-
% non 9E r, heavy "a airpiane III aln bomb for
only 2he qualities Of an 'aa aero '''S Bomb. MI.
hut those also OF a depth charge.
should the bomb miss the submarine
determined depth and will thus have
The effect Of IL depth charge.
rhe marvellous qualities OF tho four
most high-powered mobile artillery i'm
the word-which hurled shells FAR be-
hind the German lines. is described.
heavier than the lGerman long -distnnce
freak" which shelled Paris. and carry
with sure aim II distance OF thirty
Another astonishing surprise fur
& nished by the American navy was the
charges, which enables. the firing vos-
scl TO discharge the bomb astern or
on either side of the attacking sub
sIxTEEN-INCH GUNS
FOR ALL LDREADNOUGHTs
In the future. Secretary Daniels
s,ates. American Nh, p,readnonshts Re, and
guns ne nrmfa aas win hess
room InuelN ON TSocond PapoN "