Omaha daily bee., 1919-05-28
PLANS FOR
INCREASE
| n F lEET 7
SET ASIDE
Daniels Says League Of Ma
tions Will Make Larger
Navy Unnecessary; Fa-
v0rS Aviation.

Washington, May 27.-The policy
of the Navy department for a feet
Second to none in the world has
been temporarily abandoned.
Secretary Daniels. appearing be-
fore the house naval affairs commit
tee, today to outline the needs of
his department for the next fiscal
year, recommended that the entire
1919 three-year building program
Of 10 battleships and 10 battle
cruisers be abandoned, saying that
the trend of the world towards uni
versal peace and the operation of
the proposed league of nations made
competition for supremacy of the
seas no longer necessary.
The naval secretary asserted that
as the United States had taken
foremost part in promoting the
league of nations plan, it would be
the nations duty to show faith in
the covenant by refusing to author
ize further large additions to the
sea forces. Work on the 1916 pro-
gram, he said, should be completed
as soon as possible, but the 1919
program, which, it is estimated,
would involve an expenditure of
more than $l,0O0,000,000 should be
wiped off the slate
No Hallway Ground.
There can be no halfway ground"
ne said. Either we must have the
league to safeguard the interests of
every nation, or the biggest navy in
the world"
Explaining the reasons for the
change of policy, Secretary Daniels
said that when he appeared before
the committee last December and
urged additional ship construction,
the associated governments had not
begun consideration of a league of
nations plan and conditions made it
necessary that the United States
should not be caught again as un-
prepared as it was at the outbreak
Of the war.
"But since them" he said, "the
covenant has been drafted and a
new era for the world has begun.
Peace will take the place of blood
shed. 1t will be far best for the in
terests of all nations that the United
States should set a precedent by
stopping where it is"
Others Will Follow. .
Mr.. Daniels said if the United
States did not launch new building
programs other nations would fol-
low the example and change their
naval plans accordingly. Great Brit
ain, France and Italy, he asserted,
were waiting on the United States.
The secretary touched upon al
most every feature of the navy's
work in the war and will continue
his testimony tomorrow.
There has been no change, he said,
respecting a division of the fleet,
half of which will be known as the
Atlantic and the other half as the
Pacific, with two of the best ad-
nirals in the navy in command Of
each. The divisions will be equal
as to dreadnaughts and ships of
every type, he said.
1t was necessary, Mr.. Daniels said,
to keep up the navy's record as to
training quarters.
No Opinion on Subs.
Members endeavored to obtain
from the secretary an expression as
to whether the navy had formed an
opinion as to the future of the sub
marine, but he said this had not been
considered.
The real big thing that should
have attention, Mr.. Daniels said, is
aviation, and at great length he told
of what other nations had ac-
complished and of the vast sums
appropriated for this service. He
declared that the navy should have
at least $45,000,000 this year for ex-
perimental purposes mostly, SO that
by December it would be possible to
outline specifically the exact needs
for the next year or two.
"We have got to go forward with
this service" he added, land if we
are to have economy we should
seek it elsewhere"