The Sentinel=record., 1918-12-19
NAVAL OFFICIALS ASK
 FOR INCREASE OF MEN
WITHOUT AN INCREASE IN THE PERSONNEL NO EXPANSION \ PROGRAM CAN BE
 CARRIED OUT.

Washington Lee. GS-LccI Iaicn 'utaorilns increase lf tle pormanaat enlisted strensth cf the navy from l3l90o men to 2lToe was recon mended to the naval affairs commit. tee to-day by Captain Lanlng, acting chief Of the brreau Of naWgaucn This would include t75u09 .famen 24o90 apprentice scanen and firemen in training, l2Q00 in trade schools for training and Gooo in the flying corps.
 Captain Laning explained that ttis large Increase ol men s needed 1O carry out the policy of the naval uu reau oi operations. as recommended 10 tue naval affairs committee by Rear Admiral Badger last Thursday tf making the navy of tle United States equal to tho most powerful maintained by any nation of ths world
 Unless an increase in taa person ael is autsorizcd. Captain Ianing said, mo expansion program can b. carried out The navy was terribly handicapped by d lack of men even before the United States entered the war ships were only half manned and as fighting units were almost useless. IL was not until Cariy this year that the punber of men became sufficient. When tn naval reserve force is demobilizcd at the end of the 'nationa' emergency a. required ny present laws. the navy personnel will De even more inadequate than it was two years ago
 Captain Lauias also omphasil aa the need for mere officers in the reg ular navy and submitted plan by waich they might De obtained It provided that permanent comnis- sicns in the regular navy De siycn 10 temporary command officers of tho navy and of the naval reserve force upon their passing examinations and elso that the naval reserve officers be retained in the service IS long as they are needed.
 Chairman Padgett objected 10 the plan saying it would break down the present system of obtaining officers through the naval academy. The iG ,entiYe for soipg to the academy would be lost, ne said, if meg could get commissions without g4ins through the four yeac course at An. napolis
 If the navy depends upon the acad. cmy for its officers" captain Lanin@ replied. it can never get the requir- ed number Only G10 officers arc graduated yearly from the school. while .here will be a shortage of 5.- coo as soon a. the temporary comnis- sions are revoked over eight years will have elapsed betcre the required number could he obtained, even ii there wore not ainelo retirement in that pcriod.'
 The adlisabilitv of authorizing bis increases in the navy personnel at the present tune ~ae questioned by Rep resenta'iy" Kelly Of Michigan
 "Wa3 not hold steady until the peace conference Is ended and We sec now things stando" he asked "It may he that all navies except one controlled by all the powers will be done away with In that event, money We spend now would Le was. edo
 Captain Laning replied that might he advisable if other nations looked al it in the sane light, but if they continued their expansion 1t would be foclhardy for the United States to sit lack and await them 10 egt big load
 As tdriral Badger said, second rate navy is almost as bad as non 9 al all, ao added
 A letter from Secretary Daniels rccommcnding that the increased pay or enlisted men be made permanent was read into the record ny Chair man Padsv1t