The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-02-03
BOARD
CHAMPIONS
MAJOR SHIP
Present Battle Craft Not
Supplanted by Airplans
or Submarine.

Washington, Feb. 3..-The major
ship remains the basis Of sea power
and those who argue that the air
plane and submarine have sup
planted it are asking the country to
accept hopes for accomplish
ments.," the navy general board
says in q report to Secretary Dan
iels, made public today.
"The general board, having kept
in touch with naval progress along
all lines" the report says, "retiter-
ates its belief in the battleships a.
forming the principal units Of the
feet. Without them the United
States cannot hope to cope with
existing navies."
Urging that equality in power
be the continuing naval policy Of
the United States" the board says
that there is mo thought Of institut-
ing international competitive build
ing" and that mo other nation can
in reason take exception to such q
position"
1T cannot justly be construed rs
= challenge" the report continues
"A policy OF equal or substantially
equal armaments may well tend t.
diminish their growth and to lesser
the danger Of sudden war"
The report, signed by Rear Ad'
miral Charles ]. Badger, president
and former chief o.
the Atlantic feet, was approved by
Secretary Daniels and was trans
mitted by him to the senate nava
committee for its information iii
considering pending disarmamSn
and naval holiday" resolutions.
Asserting that the guiding polio.
that had shaped the general board,
construction recommendations sincl
1908 was that OF eventually Great
ing Z navy equal to the strongest Ii
the world, the board urges mo res
period or limitation Of armament
be agreed to by the United State
that would modify the great nava
building program Of 1916, now un
der construction, in numbers, gen
eraf types or dates Of completion"
Note Of Warning.
I'm the future, as at all time
previous to the World war, we shall
in all probability have to rel.
solely upon our own state Of pre-
paredness," was a note of warning
the document sounded.
Cessation OF naval building b,
Great Britain is attributed by tn
general board to the great prepon
derance in her navy Of all types Q
ships and to the present economi
situation in that empire.
The ships authorized in the 191
program are thoroughly moderr
the report says, adding that ther
is no reason to believe that devel
opments in submarine or aeris
warfare wfll seriously detract fror
their value for many years to come
The work Of completing the pre-
/ 81 AAAs tAAC AVPOAt NOuLAAUCus buO0A
not, however, deter the navy fro1
developing to the utmost new Q
partially developed weapons, ssuc
/ as submarines. aircraft and all
craft carriers, and making such I'D
diti0ns to the fleet as will insur
the successful development and us
Of sub-surface, surface and aeris
methods Of warfare to the best pot
sible advantage should the NEE
ever arise.
| Suspension UnWise.
A suspension of work on til
naval building program for 81
months to allow experts to detel
mine. in the light Of the lessons {
the World war, what types Of shiE
are most useful. a. provided in th
pending Borah resolution. "is neitl
er necessary nor advisable" th
board asserts.
IA "The important facts regardin
the naval operations Of the war al
already generally KNOWN" the n
port says. .
Every new weapon of often,
fNo~<y-,.>.1 - 1n.A -.-oN