Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-12-13

Admlral DduSeI ch PildolAeu 1lle .oed for additional mine sweepers ,'u oud patrol vessels and spoke of the sd,avelopment s, during, the war of the o;rn1ane carrier. Fleet engagements a s;l1 he preceded in the future by op- ..at;ons in the air, he stated and the ranera board recommends that the 5tIset 5st be provided with facilities to aarrv on such operations.
 D;sposition of the ships surrender d hv Germany rests with the peace eonference, Admiral Badger stated in response to questions at the close of inc meeting as to whether or not he thought these vessels should be de- stroyed, returned or distributed smong the allies. l>
 If England gets the Lions share of the ships-f asked Representative Kellv of Michigan, Republican, "do uo,, still think we should build to the .noint where we would have a navy equal to her?'
 "The necessity of the United States navy being equal to the most powerful maintained by any other nation in the world by 1925 6 is as oreat now as it has ever been,' re- nnl;ed the admiral. "This may not be possible by 1925 if the German ships are distributed in large numbers to certain powers, but we should do it as speedily as possible"
 In reply to question of Represen- tative Butler the general board had adopted any general policy in refer ence to the distribution of the fleets in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Admiral Badger said that no policy has been recommended as yet
 IN POSSESSION-12 - ..--
 Cologne, Dec. S.-(By The Asso- ciated Press .)-British troops today were in possession of all the great bridges across the Rhine at Cologne as a result of the sudden and uneX- pected withdrawal of German sentries from the eastern end of the crossings during the night.
 British soldiers yesterday were patrolling two thirds of each bridge while the Germans were keeping their beats over the remaining third. About 10 o'clock last night it was noticed that the Germans had disappeared and Investigation showed they had depart ed, presumably to rejoin the retiring TeutOn army.
 In going, the Germans cut the cleo tric wires in the towers on their end of the bridge, leaving the eastern side in darkness. There was no other req son for this, according to army off cers than to cause annoyance to the British if possible.
 The arrival of Scotch infantry in the city late today caused the greatest excitement among the sight seers as the Kilties swung through the streets behind their wailing bagpipes.
 Thousands Of folk hastily collected to see the strange soldiers in skirts of whom Cologne had heard with un- believing ears.
 So eagerly did the people press for ward that at times traffic was prac- tically halted. Certainly for a moment, the crowds came as near forgetting their hatred of the allies as they had at any time in four years, for the highlanders made great hit and drew smile to many hard faces.
 "The great naval lesson of the war has been that the nation possessing the most powerful navy was able in a few weeks to drive the German merchant flag from the seas and to Keep open her own trade routes, and yet, when the war commenced, Ger. many possessed the second best navy i'll the world. It proved to be not al ;oh she was not able to break was the greatest contributing cause of her ultimate collapse"
 Completion of the three year ouild- ing program authorized in 1916, and which was halted to build anti-suD- marine craft, was recommended by Admiral Badger. Work has not yet been started on six battleshipS, six battle cruisers, two scout cruisers, nine fleet submarines, two destroyers tenders and one fleet submarine ten qer, he said. Lack of ships of this type, he declared, would have been iatal to the United States if it had been fighting the war alone.
 Admiral Badger said that before lhe armistice was signed requiring Germany to surrender the greater part ol her navy the general toard naa recommended six year building pro- gram to include 12 dreadnaughts and 10 battle cruisers. but added that immediate necessities would be met y the three year building program recommended by the Secretary of the Navy' This program will add 16 bat ue cruisers to the six already authori- 1ea ne said, and at the same rate oI authorization would make a lo1aI VI l9 by 1925. Great Britain now has 10 Of these vessels built or building, ne sad, and it is estimated she will nave l9 or 20 by 1925.
 Admiral Badger said that type for spe, American battleships compare iavorably in power with those of any o.ner nation, pointing out that the sN oattleships soon to be laid down gre designed for a displacement of to,ooO tons of 23 knots speed, a main sattery of 12 sixteen-inch guns and sIe heavily armored. They will be ne most powerful vessels in the world, he said. i,.uh account of the development and soupe or activities of German sub