The sun., 1918-12-13
BADGER STATES
BIG SHIP PLAN
House Committee Is Told of
Programme for Next
Seven Years.
NO REFERENCE TO RIVALS
Admiral Declares Coast Line
and Outlying Possessions
Sole Consideration.
NO REFERENCE TO RIVALS
Special DespdtcA 10 THE suS.

WASHINGTON, Dec. ia navy equal
to any in the world, to be built up dur
ing the next seven years, is the pro-
gramme of the General Naval Board,
the Naval Affairs Committee OF the
House was told to-day by Rear Ad-
miral Badger, chairman of the execu-
tive committee OF the board.
No foreign nation is taken into con-
sderation in making this plan. he de-
clared but merely the extent OF coast
line and the outlying possessions the
United States has TO defenl as we'll as
a large and growing merchant marine
THE navy of the United States
should ultimately be equal TO the most
powerful maintained by any other ma
ton in the world he said "It should
be increased to- this poin; by the rate
of development which is permitted by
the facilities of the country, but the
programme should lie attained not
later than 1925"
League Would Not Anect II.
The formation OF o lea que OF nations.
the Admiral pointed out. would have
no effect on the programme other than
to speed it up.
"Navies must be the principal sup
port Of league of nations and the
United States. with its wealth. infiu-
ence ard power" he pointed out, will
he called upon TO contribute a very
large share OF the International police
force to render such a league e.-
feCtive."
After referring TO the necessity OF
properly protecting the large and
growing merchant marine Of the ma
ton Admiral Badger said that many
OF the vessels in the three year pro-
gramme laid down in 1915 had not yet
been started. -a'-.f..' -'- -.
Those ships authorized but not begun
include sin superdrcadnoughts. six
battle cruisers. two scout cruisers, two
dcstroyers. two destroyer tenders. nine
fleet submarines and one feet subma-
rine tender. The general board ap-
proves the immediate completion Of
these vessels. he declared
The necessity for rushing destroyers
and merchant construction during the
war stopped work on these vessels. he
pointed out. Had the United States
been forced TO fight with its own naval
fleet alone lack OF ships OF the battle
cruiser and superdreadnought classes
would have been fatal, he told the
committee.
WonId Equal Great Britain.
In addition to the new three year
programme sought by the Secretary
of the Navy. which Admiral Badger
said appeared TO meet the immediate
demands for naval protection. it is
planned to begin work on sixteen
additional battle cruisers in 1920.
These added to the six already
authorized would give the navy
twenty-five of them before 1925. BY
that time az the present rate OF in
crease Great Britain would have
about the same number possibly one
or two less. the committee was told.
"Sea power will always remain n
factor of the greatest Importance in
internatioha relations" said the Ad-
miral. The great lesson OF the war
was that the nation OF the most power
ful navy was able 10 drive the German
merchant flag from the seas and at
the same time keep her own trade
routes open.
1T must not be forgotten that when
the war began Germany possessed the
second best navy in the world Even
that was far from good enough. The
blockade OF Germany was the great
cst contributing cause to ultimate
German defeat"
Feared German Cruisers.
Turning again to the subject of bat
tie cruisers the Admiral declared ono
of the greatest fears the Navy Depart
men had after the United States
entered the war was that German bat
tie cruisers would haunt the transport
lanes and sink our ships. In the
American navy was no single ship OF
equal power fast enough to catch
these vessels or even drive them awTy,
continued on second Page.
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