The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-03-06
EITHER PACT
OR BIG NAVY.
SAYS DANIELS
Secretary Tells House Com
mittee Expansion Sea
Forces Necessary if Treaty
is Not Ratified.
PROGRAM IS OUTLINED
(By Associated Press)

(f5y Associated fTeSS)
WASHINGTON, Mar. 6-Secretary
Daniels told the house naval commit
tee today he would recommend a
naval building program for the next
fiscal year larger than that proposed
by the general board 'if the peace
treaty is not ratified at this session of
congress-"
Withholding final recommendation.
however, the secretary added thai If
this country in the end rejected men,
bership in the league of nations, he
would feel impelled to renew his rec
ommendation for another three-year
program OF construction.
Reiterating lis statement of last
year that 1--WE must have league of
nations by which every nation will
7 help preserve the peace of the world
without competitive naval building, or
We must have incomparably the big
gest navy in the world" Mr.. Daniels
declared there was no middle ground.
Situation Still Uncertain.
81 had hoped to appear before this
committee today" the secretary con-
tinued, with a final recommendation
as to building program, but as the
senate has not yet acted upon the
peace treaty, there are uncertainties
in the situation. If the covenant had
been ratified our duty would have
been plain.
with the league in operation, COM
posed at first of all the nations allied
or associated in the the world war
and with provision for admittance of
all other nations opposed to conquest
and militarism, it would not be neces-
sary to impose on the taxpayers in
America the assessments necessary
for building more capital ships"
The program which the secretary
recommended be authorized in event
the treaty is not ratified, agreed with
the general boards proposal as to cap
1tal ships-two battleships and one
battle cruiser-but added to that pro-
posal 20 light cruisers and IA fiotilla
leaders, or super destroyers. No light
cruisers and only six super destroyers
were recommended by the board.
Alternative moderate" Program.
1t had been his intention, if the
peace treaty were ratified, with the
possibility of ornaments being cur
tailed and regulated" the secretary
declared, to recommend definitely
only such moderate" building pro-
gram necessary to round out the
fleet"
No capital ships would have been
included in this program. he added,
I but in the unsettled condition of the
world today, he declared, the Ameri-
can navy must be prepared for an
emergency"
The question for you to decide
the secretary told the committee, "is
whether the United States in future
building shall undertake simply to
round out its navy by building units
of types in which we are now short. or
shall embark on further expansion in
addition"
Secretary Daniels emphasized the
fleets deficiency in light cruisers and
other secondary craft as demonstrated ed
by war lessons. The present battle
ship strength, he pointed out, would
soon be increased by the 10 dread
naughts now building, more power
full than any battleships afloat" in
addition to the six battle ccruisers
under construction, necessitating more
auxiliary craft.
Destroyers and other ant-subma,
1ine craft construction during the war
Mr.. Daniels said, had taxed facilities
and prevented balanced additions to
the fleet while Great Britain had
been able to carry out a well balanced
program.
He pointed out that the British
navy had increased its light cruisers
TO 76, against which the American
navy has only three, all of doubtful
value.