New-York tribune., 1920-02-07
Daniels to Ask
For 26 Capital
Ships for Navy
Plans Huge Building Pro.
gram, Including Sixteen
Up-to-Date Dreadnouellts
and Ten Battle Cruisers

Fro" The Tribunc's Washinotou Rur,cu
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6. - A huge
naval building program, involving the
construction of twenty-six capital
ships, including sixteen superdread-
houghts and ten battle cruisers, will
DC laid before Congress within the
announcement of this fact was made
to-day by Mr.. Daniels, who said he
would ask Congress to adopt by this
program policy of naval construc-
ton, which, in the event the United
States enters the league of nations.
VIII give this country a navy as large
as any in the world, and which in the
event she does not do so will pave the
way for navy greater than any other
in the world
i shall propose" he said, chat we
proceed immediately with construc-
ton work UP to the utmost capacity of
our yards, a capacity which we have
already begun to enlarge"
Ships to Cost $78O,OOO,OOO
The ultimate cost Of these twenty
six capital ships, it was estimat, d, will
approximate $3.50 100000. For the work
to be done during the fiscal year be-
ginning July ! next, Mr.. Daniels said
he would ask for an appropriation of
$20O,oOO,Ooo.
The ships called for are those it was
originally proposed to build under the
three year program suggested to the
last Congress. Authorization for some
of them already has been given and
the keels of few actually laid Mr..
Daniels, however, desires the whole pro-
gram put under way at once.
From an examination which already
l,or 10 II
the Navy Department are satisfied the
try available for this kind of construc-
tion is such that work on all twenty
six could be proceeded with simultanc-
ously"
Whether Congress will approve is cx-
tremely doubtful. The program of
economy adopted by the Republican
ma ajority is such as to close the door
to new projects of any kind
$5O,0o0,0oo More for Navy Pay.
Moreover, in order to obtain the per-
sonnel required for the augmented
fleet Secretary Daniels will renew
his request for an increase in navy
pay that will add another S50,000,000
to the budget he will present. With
the completion of the new vessels pro-
posed, it is probable that the appro-
priation for pay will have to be in
creased again, as the S50000.000 to be
asked now, according TO Mr.. Daniels,
will be used largely to raise the pay
of the present personnel. Congress
already has attempted to meet this
problem through q bill! granting addi-
tional ration" allowances to officers
and men. In the opinion Of Mr.. Dan
iels this is not sufficient and does not
meet the problem in the proper way.
1t is recalled that after proposing
the thrce-ycar. programme two years
ago Mr.. Daniels last spring went be-
tee and suggested that the whole plan
be suspended pending the outcome of
the peace conference. At that time
President Wilson was in Washington,
having returned to this country for
brief period during the negotiations at
Paris.
Mr.. Daniels's explanation Of his
change of attitude was that the whole
question Of naval armament would un-
doubtedly be taken up by the league
of nations and that policy would
be sought to be established covering
the naval construction Of the member
states.
Secretary Daniels in message to
Congress to-day recommended con-
struction of three aviation carriers
and four destroyer tenders. He pro-
posed that fabricated steel now on
hand at Hog Island be used, reducing
the cost from $23,00O,000 to $11 900 ,O0O
''To insure to aviation the mobility
which belongs to it as naval arm
tenders and carriers must be pro-
vided," Mr.. Daniels said.