New-York tribune., 1918-12-19
Double Navy's
Peace Status,
Plea to House
Increase of Personnel to
2l7,O00 Necessary for
.sMost Powerful" Force
Are 5000 Officers Short
Cant. Laning Says Release
Of Men in Reserve Now
Would Prove Handicap

WASHINGTON. Dec. 1s.-Legisla-
.,p authorizing an increase of the
narrsnent enlisted strength of the
n.vv from $4,000 men to 217000 was
recommended to the House Naval At
.o,rs Committee to-day by Captain II.
1onine acting chief of the bureau of
nov;qation. This would include 49,
ooo searen $4,000 apprentice seamen
ard fremen in training, 10000 in trade
schools for training and 5000 in the
~ SCaotain S1@T Laning explained that this
Iorce increase of men is needed to
nerry out the policy Of the Naval
bureau OF Operations, as recommended
"a the Naval Affairs Committee by
Rear Admra! Badger last Thursday,
Of making the navy OF the unlte6
States equal to tine most powerful
maintained by any nation OF the
world"
"Unless ar increase in the personnel
&c authorized" Captain Laning said,
mo expansion programme can be car
,ied out. The navy WAS terribly handl-
capped by q lack Of men even before
tbe United States entered the war.
Ships we're only half manned and as
frhting units were almost useless. 1t
was not until early this year that the
number of men became sufficient " hen
the Naval Reserve Force is dem oblllzed
at the end of the national emergency,
as required by present laws, the navW
nersonnel will be even more inadequate
than it was two years ago.
Plan for Increase
Captain Laning also emphasized the
need for more officers in the regular
navy and submitted plan by which
thev might be s2htalned. 1t provlded
that permanent Commissions in the
rerular navy be given to temporarily
Commissioned officers of the navy and
The Naval Reserve force upon their
nassing examinations, and also that
the Naval Reserve officers be retained
in the service as long as they are
needed -,
plan. saying it would break down the
nresent system Of obtaining officers
through the Naval Academy. The IN
would be lost, he said. if men coule
cet Commissions without going through
fhe four-vear course at Annapolis.
"If the navy depends upon the Acad
emv for it's officers" Captain Lanlnf
renlied. "it can never get the required
number. Only 500 officers are grad.uu
ated yearly from the school, Will
there will be a shortage OF o'ooo a
soon as the temporary commission
are revoked Over eight years woui'
elapse before the required numoe
could be obtained, even if there woul
not be single retirement IN tina
period"
Questions Necessity
The advisability Of authorizing bl
increases in the navy personnel at tn
nresent time was questioned by Rer
resentative Kelly, of Michigan.
"Whv not hold steady until tn
peace conference is ended and we Sc
how things stand ?" he asked. 1T ma
be that all navies except one controlle
BY all the powers will be done a"s
with. In that event. money we sper
now would be wasted
Captain Laning replied that it mig
be advisable if other nations looked
it in the same light, but If they co
tinued their expansions it would
foolhardy for the United States TO
back and allow them to get big lea
CAS- Admiral Badger said, secol
rate navy is almost as bad as none
al,'' he added.
4 letter from Secretary Daniels re
ommending that the increased pay
enlisted men be made permanent W
read into the record by Charm
PadCett