Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1921-02-21
10y Victor
In Battle
With Critics
Rear Admiral Fullam Deliv.
ers Indictment of Present
Building Program-Scores
Heads of Department.
Short of Submarines
Chicago Tribune Omaha Bee Leased Wire

I Chicago Tribune-O Omaha Bee Leased Wire
Washington, Feb. 20.-The Navy
department fought hard battle with
/ the critics of its building policy,
| led by Rear Admiral Fullam, retired,
before the senate naval affairs com
mittee. The navy. came OF:
victorious, if the attitude OF the COM
mittee is to be the deciding factor,
after Rear Admiral Fullam had de-
livered a sweeping indictment of the
navy building program.
Admiral Fullam agued that the
navy heads apparently had learned
no lessons from the war; that they
had shut their minds against sugges-
tons based upon the experiences OF
world conflict; and contended tina,
this attitude "impcrils the nation"
The American navy today, he de-
clared. is fatally short of submar-
rines," and its air force is "pitifully
inadequate to meet modern condi-
tons" He charged that the navy is
utterly disorganized and bitterly as
sailed the theory of dividing the
fleet, contending that the battle fleet
should be concentrated in the Pacl-
tic. ..E. ...
Would Curtail Building.
Admiral Fullam urged completion
OF six superdreadnaughts now fur
Hest advanced in construction, but
held that construction should be sus-
pended on drcadnaughts less than
25 per cent completed and E battle
cruisers less than 10 per cent COM
pleted, while the navy makes a
thorough study of what constitutes
a modern navy in the light of the
experiences of the war
All the important, bureau heads of
the Navy department were on hand
to answer Admiral Fullam's testi-
mony. Rear Admiral Taylor, chief
of construction, maintained that the
battleship was the backbone of the
navy. 1t should be improved to the
highest degree, he said. but it should
remain the nayy's chief reliance.
Admiral Coontz, chief of opera
tions; agreed with Admiral Fullam
as to the necessity for developing
the air service, but disapproved the
proposal to suspend the construction
of battle cruisers. Captain Craven,
director of naval aviation, thought it
would be advisable to create sepa-,
rate air service and urged that the
development of air craft should be
pushed TO the. fullest extent, but not.
at the expense of the capital ship.
Rear Admiral McNey, chief of ord
nance. told the committee that no
has yet been invented that
can be dropped from plane to do
more than local damage.
Would Complete Ships.
Admiral Fullam pointed out that
the American navy now has 10
dreadnaughts in commission and II.
superdreadnaughts under construc-
ton, six Of which are between 25
and 90 per cent completed.
at would appear good policy to
these six ships which
would give a very powerful battle
feet of p dreadnaughts." he said.
Admiral Fullam urged the COM
pletion OF the 10 scout cruisers un-
der construction as soon as possible,
and the utmost haste in completion
Of the A. submarines now under
construction. ]
"In our surface fleet We find that
with p dreadnaughts, 800 destroyers
and 10 scout cruisers, our navy will
stand next to that of England he
said. 1T will be at least so per cent
stronger than that of Japan and omit
ting Great Britain, it will be more
powerful than the combined navies
Of all Europe.