The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-12-10
PACIFIC
NEEDS BASES
SPECIAL BOARD RECOMMENDS
BIG NAVAL SHORE PROJECTS

Washington, Dec. .9.-Deyelopment of
Pacific coast naval shore establishment
during the next five years at a cost of
$158, 000, 900 is recommended in the re-
port of the special board headed by
! Rear Admiral J. S. Mexican sent last
year to check up on its previous pro-
gram. Deep water fleet bases at Brem
erton, Wash. at a cost of $4,000. 900.
and at San Francisco, at a cost Of
$51 .000,0 900. are the chief items pro-
posed. the San Francisco project as
previously outlined by the Helm board
! having been increased by proposed
destroyer and submarine basins.
The report urged establishment with
in three years of the base at San
Francisco, saying that with the Brem-
erton base it would provide two deep
water stations for the capital ships,
the minimum required for efficient
operation of the Pacific fleet. In addf-
ton, expansion of facilities at San
Diego to provide a complete operating
base for southern California was rec
commended to include fleet supply IA
ci1ities and repair base for the small
er ships. Advantages of this point
as a base for maneuvers and target
practice were emphasized.
The board agreed with the Helm
commission (1917) that insufficient
depth of water rendered the Mare is
land yard unavailable for development
as a base in San Francisco harbor
and favored Alameda site over that
at Hunters point although Withholding
final decision pending further sub
face exploration.
The Bremerton navy yard. the board
held, should be developed for the ex-
elusive of big craft, with a repair base
for the Puget sound submarine flo
tilla at the Keyport torpedo station
and an operating base for destroyers,
submarines and aircraft at Port An
geles, Wash, near Ediz Hook. The
Bremerton base developments, the
board said, also should be completed
within three years, as of vital impor-
lance to the fleet. 1t should include
additional slips and piers. two large
and two small dry-docks and expand
ed storage facilities.
1.-The urgency cannot be exaggerat-
ed when the lack of facilities for large
ships at San Francisco and Hawaii is
realized the report said.
The stragetic position of the Hawaii
an islands, the board said. made alb
solutely imperative the development
of the Pearl Harbor station into a
first class base adequate to take care
of the whole fleet in any movement,
offensive or defensive, across the Pa
cific." Developments recommended at
an estimated cost of s27,000.o00 includ-
ed an additional dry-dock, increased
storage space, expansion of repair and
maintenance equipment, and a COM
plete submarine base.
The board recommended establish
ment of a submarine base at San
Pedro, Cal, and base for submarines,
destroyers and aircraft at Astoria,
Oregon, on the Columbia river. The
latter would require dredging the chan
mel and serve also as an anchorage
for big ships.
Advantages of San Diego as an
training and operating base
were emphasized and exclusive naval
use of the training station now operat-
ed jointly with the army was urged. |
All recommendations of the board
for the deepening are 100 feet in
length.
In addition to Admiral Mexican, act
ing chief of naval operations at the
time the inspection was made, the |
board was composed of Real Admiral
c. W. Parks, chief of the bureau OF !
yards and docks, and Commander j. c. |
Hilton, of the bureau of supplies and
accounts Discussing the immense
sum, considering the financial condi- |
lions of our country" it recommended
for expenditure. the board said 1t mad !
included mo items that are not neces-
sary to the efficient and economical
= maintenance and operation of the
fleet, that the providing of these neces- |
sary facilities can be done in time
of peace at much less cost than they
can be improvised and rushed under !
war conditions" and pointed to the fact |
that more than s8S,0oo,000 had been |
expended during the war to expand At +,
lantic coast facilities already existing.
It called attention also to the fact that |
there was thirteen bases of various
sorts on the Atlantic, six more than !
the total recommended herein for the
Pacific
The report says recommendations i
for increased facilities were already
coming from the Pacific fleet, despite |
the fact that it was so recently es-
tablished making it clear that the
fleet officers realized the necessity for I