Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-01-07
OAN|ELSSEES NEED
OF GREAT u s. NAVY
If Peace Tribunal Fails We Should
Be Ready to Aid Weak.
AMERICA SECOND ON SEAS
No Designs on Other Nations-Dis-
closes Strength of Navies, Show
ing Uncle Sam Has 1,217 Ships,
Headed by SO Battleships.

Washington, Dec. 31.-Secretary of
the Navy Daniels before the house
naval committee, declared the United
States, having pledged its support to
small nations, should build a navy sec
ond to none in the world if an interna-
tional tribunal with power to enforce
its rulings failed to become reality.
He was speaking in behalf of the $780,
100000 naval building program.
"A large navy is not needed because
the United States has designs upon
other nations territory" Secretary
Daniels said, because this country
has no such designs. But, since we
have pledged our support to small ma
lions unable to protect themselves, we
must be strong enough to make our
pledges good"
Mr.. Daniels said the war had
brought out clearly two points: /.
That national differences and greed
for power are unsafe and must be
eliminated. ,. That an international
tribunal with power to enforce its rul-
ingS is essential.
Made Up Mind Quickly.
Representative Kelly of Michigan
asked the secretary when he first came
TO the conclusion that America should
have a navy second to none in the
world.
II came to that conclusion when the
war broke out" was the reply. I'm
til that time l believed that the work
ing people who suffer most from wars.
and bankers and business men who
pay for wars, should be considered be-
fore the militarists. But when | real
lied that the militarists of another ma
ton might plunge the world into war
at their will, | realized that / was
can lick any other navy in the world,
we may as well have none"
Shows Strength of Nayies.
The secretary submitted to the COM
mittee report showing the present
comparative strengths of the large nav
les of the world. Great Britain has
in operation. or building 81 battleships,
13 battle cruisers, 81 heavy cruisers,
Ill light cruisers, PIG patrol and gun
boats, 400 destroyers, 219 submarines,
90 torpedo boats, 80 f1OtillO leaders,
800 airships and S97 miscellaneous
ships.
France has % battleships, 81 cruis-
ers, 8 light cruisers, 90 destrOyers,
121 torpedo boats, 20 submarines, 80
airships and 1873 other craft Italy
has IS battle ships, cruisers, 10
light cruisers, monitors, IS dotilla
leaders, "a destroyers, SO torpedo
boats. IS submarines, 80 airships and
442 miscellaneous vessels.
Russia before quitting the war had
IS battleships, a battle cruisers, -
heavy and light cruisers, 1913 destroy
ers, "a submarines, 10 torpedo boats,
IA airships and 80 miscellaneous YES
sells.
The United States, with the second
largest navy in the world. has built
or projected 80 battleships, 6 battle
cruisers, armored cruisers, 40 light
cruisers, 342 destrOyers, 1S1 subma-
rines, Is coast torpedo vessels, II tor
pedo boats and $50 other vessels.
Before the armistice was signed Ger
many had AZ battleships, 6 battle
cruisers, 81 other cruisers, 223 destroy
ers, 175 torpedo boats, 243 submarines
and 564 miscellaneous vessels.
May Interrupt the Program.
The clause to provide for Interrupt
ton of the building program if neces-
sary after the peace conference Sec
rotary Daniels proposed as follows:
'If, at any time, the construction au-
thoriZed by this act shall have been
contracted for, there have been estab-
lished. with the cooperation of the
United States of America, an interna-
tiOnal tribunal or tribunals competent
to secure peaceful determination of all
international disputes and which shall
render unnecessary the maintenance of
competitive ornaments. then, and in
that case, such naval expenditures as
may be inconsistent with the en-
pagements made in the establishment
of such tribunal or tribunals, may be
suspended when so ordered by the
president of the United States"
Concentration now upon the con-
struction of capital ships was urged
by Secretary Daniels, who pointed out
that in combating the submarine men,
ace the navy has acquired an excess
of small craft.
He told the committee that the sign
ing of the armistice led him to defer
a trip to Europe planned for this
month.