The sun., 1918-11-22
Inconsistency, However, Re.
tween Demand for 80 Ships
and Disarmament Point.
TIMED FOR PEACE CONFAB
Ford eagles" Bone Of Conten-
tion-Griffin Admits That
Millions Can Be Saved.
Special Despdtch 10 THs SUI.

plain to the House Naval Affairs Com.
mittee how It ls proposed to make III.
| Administrations demand FOR thirty-two
capital fighting ships coincide with the
, statement In President Wilson's fourteen
peace points that ornaments OF the ma
| lions must be reduced to the lowest poir,
consistent with democratic safety. TIL,
committee was In session again to-day
going into the enormous estimates sub
] mitted by the Navy Department, and eX-
pected some suggestion from the Depart.
ment TO try TO reconcile these two as
I poets OF the situation.
| Republicans on the committee, Il a..
veloped to-day. completely represent the
view OF their party in Congress in the!'
determination not to appropriate hun
dreds OF millions OF dollars now FOR 81
naval building programme when the az.
propriations may be completely wasted
| through an agreement at the peace cor.
ference limiting naval ornaments.
1t also developed that there Is sum.
cient Democratic support OF the pro.
gramme to tie up the naval bill com.
| pletely IL the Adm inistration seeks H.
force through the building programme
I without satisfying Congress In regard to
| the need OF beginning the construction N
advance of the findings and determine
| tions OF the peace conference.
Menace of Germany IL Gone.
Tho Republican attitude was NOR,
fully explained to-day. 1t is the party
| belief that Great Britain. with the men
ace Of Germany removed, Is ready and
| anxious to drop a part OF the heavy bur
den of naval armament sho has beer
compelled to carry.
There is no fear OF a clash with Grea.
Britain In the near or distant future. It
is not for that reason that naval equality
with Great Britain Is sought. II Is al
equal division OF power on the high seas
that Congress will seek. Whether this
shall mean two enormous navies or tao
smaller navies rests with tho findings 0:
the peace conference. Should the e1.
pected happen and the peace conference
limit naval ornaments, and Great Brit,
ain accede to that position, the Republ!-
cans pointed out. It Will mean that NJ
money will have been wasted in startlrg
a big building programme which need
not be finished.
II developed to-day that In tho pro
posed thirty-two ship programme It Is
the intention Of the Administration 70
construct Government yards for the
building. This would entail a great dsa
of expense which would have to be borne
by the country before a single keel was
laid and before il would be know
whether II would be necessary TO lay any
more keels
To illustrate their belief that no com
plication with Great Britain will eve
arise Republicans pointed to the re
quest from Great Britain during the wa
that the United States build aghtinr
ships while England devoted itself eH
clusively or almost 80 to the constructio,
OF merchant ships.
Not n Prospective Foes Policy.
This request, while It might be ~
terpreted to indicate a certain selhst
angle to the proposition on the part Of
Great Britain. they pointed out GER
tainly indicates that a prospective enemy
would not invite tho United States to
build up its lighting fleet to create.
strength.
The very fact that the estimates
which are admitted by the Navy Depart
ment to be in the circumstances almost
altogether guesswork were submitttl to
Congress at this early date ia believe
by some members of the Naval Commit.
tee 10 tit in with the programme Of a.
President going abroad TO tho p"acs
conference. Ordinarily the naval cs.-
mates do not reach Congress until We.
along in the winter and work on the
estimates and hearings by the commit
tee do not begin until January.
The insistence OF aome Democrats o.
the Naval Committee. including Chair
man Padgett CTcnn.), upon the two
three year building programmes I,roy,d
ing FOR thirty-two capital ships ard ir
Vulnerable smaller craft was int rpretN
by other members of tho committee It
indicates a desire on the part OF tho ~
minstration to send the President =
France with the Information to the othe
peace delegates that the United Slater
was. preparing TO build All emoInoA
tghting feet
The hearings to-day before the CON
mittee indicated to members that = Il
the intention OF tho Navy Department
to buy the feet OF l12 Ford Eagle
boats whether Congress appropFiste5 fo-
them or not or whether Appropriation
and authorizations already made are
rescinded. The payment, II necessary
will be made out OF the contingent fuUc
OF s1oo,0o0.OoO given to the Presden
by Congress which no cnn use In A.
way he desireB.
eagles" Would Cost S4o.OoO,0oO.
The boats cost about s4o0, 900 eac'
and hundred OF them--twelve arc &c
be turned over to Italy-will make tnei'
total cost to tho Government no les
than $40. 5oo.o 900. On top OF this e.
pense, members OF tho committee said
there Is the cost OF the plants. wh!r
was paid for by the Government.
Rear Admiral Griffin. chief OF tf'
bureau OF steam engineering. was h+
fore the committee to-day. He &C.
mated that the care and repair 81 the
machinery for the Eagle" boats woul7
cost about 81 600 900 year He though,
that the vessels might be useful IL poll
ing foreign waters such as the Adria'-
and they could carry the America,
flag there"
They might he useful for river wor.
too" the committee was told
where are you going to lnd river
enough" demanded Representative But
Ter (Pa.).
Admiral Griffin estimated that on
war basis II would require an appro
priation Of $40, 100000 for the repair ar
maintenance OF machinery alone. IT
amount will not lie needed now, he sa''
and suggested that II be cut 10 g..
100000. moment later he said t.l
might even be cut to SS5.Oo0,OOO
Immediately the Admiral was -
quested to show how this was uecessar'
when the navy was being returned
peace basis and the approprl alton 90
1910 for this item was but $1,000, 0tN
He admitted that present estimates su.
reducing them as drawn while the
was still In progress could bs uothlrs
more than guesswork.
Japan's Population Grows 100000 You.