Bisbee daily review., 1918-12-13
NATION MUST
 HAVE SHIPS TO
 EQUAL OTHERS
Neither End of Hostilities Nor Personnel of Leagues of Ma tions Alters Plans of Gen eral Board of Navy
lRv Review I.eased Wirel

WASHINGTON, Dec. F. - Neither the end of hOstilities nor proposals for a league of nations has altered the policy of the general board of the navy in regard 10 making the navy second to none in the world. Rear ! Admiral Charles J. Badger, chairman ! of the executive committee of the 1 board. today told the house naval affairs committee that the navy should be equal to that of any other nation by 1925 and urged that suffi- cient appropriations to make this pos sible be made by congress.
 "The general board believes that under the present world conditions and the conditions likely to obtain in the future" Admiral Badger said, "the | United States navy should steadily continue to increase. Ultimately 1t | should be equal to the most powerful maintained by any other nation of the world. Year by year development should be made as consistent with the facilities of the country. but the limit above defined should be attained not later than 1925.
 "Navies must be the principal sup port of a league of nations, and the United States, from its wealth, influ- ence and power, will be called upon to contribute large share of the inter national police force to render such ! a league effective
 The duty of the navy, the admiral said, will be not only to guard the country against invasion, but to pro | tect as well the great merchant ma rine now being built.
 Completion of the Swear building program authorized in 1916 and which was halted to build anti-submarine craft was recommended by Admiral Badger. Work has not yet been started on six batleships, six battle cruisers, two scout cruisers, nine fleet submarines, two destroyer tenders, and one fleet submarine tender, he said.
 Lack of ships of this type, he de- clared, would have been fatal to the United States if it had been fighting the war alone.
 Admiral Badger said that type for type American battleships compare favorably in power with those of any other nation, pointing out that six
 blttleships soon to be laid down are designed for a displacement of 4S,OO0 tons of 23-knot speed, main battery of twelve 16-inch guns and are heav-
 ily armored They will be the most
 powerful vessels in the world he said.
 The admiral stated that provisions
 for los destroyers is made in the 1920, 3-yea- program. There now are 342 either built or being built, he said, and in 1925 there will, therefore, be a l total of 450 compared with England's
 516 at present.
 "The submarine program calls for
 2l fleet submarines, 146 S-type, 24
 anti-submarines and 42 mine-layers,
 he said. There now are built. build . ing or authorized a total of 169 coast
 submarines and F fleet submarines
 The general board estimates that 6
 total of 294 S-type boats are required
 and recommends that 75 be author
 ized now. The British navy has bull
 or builcing 22S submarines of whicl
 about 75 are of large or fleet type
 Admiral Badger emphasized tho
 need for additional mine-sweepers anC
 patrol vessels, and spoke of the de velopment during the war of the air
 plane carrier. Fleet engagements vii ! be proceeded in the future by opera ' tions in the air, he stated, and thu \ general board recommends that thu fleet be provided with facilities t'
 carry on such operations.
 Disposition of the ships surrendere' r by Germany rests with the peace con
 ference, Admiral Badger stated in re 0 sponse to questions at the close O the meeting as to whether he though y these vessels would be destroyed. rS
 turned or distributed among the allies
 An account of the development an
 scope of activities of German sut
 marines was given by Admiral BaC
 ger. Ten years ago, the submarin was not larger than 150 tons, coul "a cruise less than 800 miles and wa n very vulnerable Today they are 3 V- times larger and can make 1000 an IL more. They have destroyed hundred oi of vessels and have laid mines in SC e. lanes and in harbors. making constan 'l sweeping operations necessary. N one knows, the admiral said, ho' n much further the development will g