The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1919-12-19
BIG NAVY FOR U. s.
URGED BY BOARD
Americas Sea Force Should
Equal That Of Any Nation
NEW PROGRAM OUTLINED
Construction OF Two Battleships, Ten
Scout Cruisers, Five Destroyer
FiotilIe Leaders And Six
Submarines Favored.

Washington Recommendation of
the Navy General Board for the build
ing program for 1921 include two bat
tleships, one battle cruiser, 10 scout
cruisers. five destroyer "flotilla lead
ers'' and six submarines.
"The navy of the United States
should ultimately be equal to the most
powerful maintained by any other ma
ton Of the world" not later than 1925,
the report adds.
| The statement Of policy as to the
ultimate strength of the navy and the
time when it should be achieved is a
reiteration of the boards position as
carried in its report to Secretary
Daniels each year since 1915.
Contrary to his custom for the last
few years, Mr.. Daniels did not make
public the boards recommendations
when his own annual report was re-
leased, although it was attached to
that document as it went to the Pres
ident. Mr.. Daniels did not himself
recommend any building program,
Withholding this for later presenta-
tion. A
In its recommendations just made
public at the department, the General
Board urged policy Of naval expan-
sion that will guarantee protection of
coast lines and the rapidly expanding
merchant marine against any naval
power in the world. Such protection,
the board declared, can be had only by
increasing American sea power to a
point where it is second to none" and
maintaining 1t at that level.
The board further asserted that the
war having demonstrated that posses
sion Of feet powerful enough to pro-
tect its sea-borne commerce is vital to
any nation in time of hostilities, the
maintenance of such navy by the
United States would be "a great pre-.
ventive Of war, for no nation would
tightly provoke hostilities when her
own commerce would thereby be i'm
periled." The necessary future
strength of the American Navy, there
fore, must depend, the board said,
upon the naval strength of the powers
in a position to challenge our legitl-
mate commercial expansion upon the
high seas"
Declaring the greatest naval lesson
of the war was the immense advantage
of uniformity in speed and armament
of first-line ships, the board asserted
it already was evident that first-line
ships of the American Navy must have
heavier armament than the 12-inch
guns Of the first dreadnaughts. These
ships. the board said, were rapidly
assuming the same relationship to the
nayys super-dreadnaughts that the
older battleships bear to the first
drea anaughts themselves, with the
time approaching when they can no
lorger be considered as effective flrst-
l:la ships. The German feet, the
hoard declared in this connection, was
handicapped and not strengthened by
the presence of predreadnaughts OF
slower speed and lighter armament IN
the battle of Jutland, because they re-
duced "the naneuvering and fighting
powers of the entire force"
Emphasizing the deficiency OF the
American navy in scout cruisers, the
board. recommending the construction
Of 10 of these ships, cited the value OF
such craft to the British feet during
the war and declared them to be es-
sential to "any well-balanced navy"
For development and construction
of aircraft during the year the board
recommended an appropriation of ST.
600 900, with s6,O00000 to be used for
construction