The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-03-08
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70 EUROPE:
Secretaries Daniels and Ba-
ker to Join American
Delegation There
DANIELS WILL VISIT
LONDON, ROME, PARIS

Is to Study Types of Warships-Sec.
Baker to Aid i'll Closing Business
Operations of the American Expedi-
tionary Forces.
WASHINGTON, March S.-Sec. Dan
iels and poFty Of American naval ex-
perts will start for Europe next week
to discuss with allied naval officials the
best type Of capital warships to be
built in the future, based on the les
sons gained in the great war.
Because OF conflicting opinions on
this subject among American officers,
the secretary has been asked TO submit
a definite recommendation TO the next
congress in December.
1t also was learned yesterday that
See. Baker viii sail for Europe about
April to close up the business opera
tions Of the American EXpeditionary
forces. He will be absent about six
weeks. and probably will arrive over
seas before Sec Daniels returns home.
Thus President Wilson, the secretary
Of state and the heads of both the army
and navy will probably be away from
the country at the same timc--a situ-
alton probably without precedent
The naval secretary will be accom-
panied by Rear Admirals Taylor, chief
Of the bureau Of construction and re-
pair; Griffin, chief of the bureau OF
steam engineering; Earle, chief of the
bureau of ordnance, and Commander
Foote, his personal aid: The party will
be Joined overseas by Admiral Benson
and Vice Admiral Sims.
Mr. Daniels and his party viii sal
from New York on the transport lie
viathan March 10, and viii go first tC
Paris To confer with the French admir-
atty. They later will visit London ant
Rome and probably awill be away g
month or more.
While all deductions to be drawn
from war experiences viii be discussed
in detail, the American mission vii
address itself particularly to the ques
ton of future types of capital ships
1t has been the Judgment of the nav.
general board, charged with fixing tn
military Championship. of new ships
that the United States should contina
to build dreadnoughts of constantly in
ereasing power, and battle cruiser:
This view is held by Rear Admira
Fletcher, chairman of the genera
board and cx-eommandcr of the Allan
lie feet
Admiral Mayo now commander o
the Atlantic feet; Vice Admiral Sim
and Rear ADMIRAL Rodman, the thre
officers who have held the highest post
of the AMERICAN service in the wa
zone. believe, However, that n eompos
tie ship, combining the speed of ba'
lie cruiser with the gun power and arm
or of a battleship should be substit'
ted.
Edward r. Stcttinus, personal repr'
sentative of the secretary of war, VII
returned from Europe some weeks ag
reported satisfactory progress III h
negotiations with the French and otl
or governments regarding the dispos
lion Of vast quantities of building mi
terial and other equipment not OF
strictly military nature which had bee
concentrated for the army in Franc
but there remain many questions wm'
must be decided by Sec. Baker, who HI
felt that he could expedite this emit
matter by his personal attention to
in Europe.
The war secretary hopes to be ab
TO complete the work that lies befo
him in France in three weeks and 6
back to Washington by the middle
MAY. While he is overseas, Benedl
Crowell. first assistant, will act as Sc
rotary of war.