Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-02-03
NAVY STILL RELIES
/. ON MAJOR WARSH|P
AirpIane and Submarine
Have Not SuppIanted It,
Report Holds.

The major ship remains the basis of
sea power and those who argue that
the airplane and the submarine have
supplanted it are asking the country
10 accept hopes for accomplish
ment. the Navy general board says
in report TO Secretary Daniels, made
public today.
The general board. having kept in
! touch with naval progress along all
lines. > sa:-s the report "re iteratcs its
belief in tho hattieships as forming
tine principal units os the fleet With
out them the United States cannot
nope fo~cope with existing navies."
Urging that equality in power be
the continuing naval policy of the
United States" the board says there
is mo thought OF instituting interna-
tional competitive building" and that
no other nation can in reason take
exception to spch a position"
~ cannot justly be construed as a
challenge" the report continued "A
pollcy Of equal or substantially euual
armaments may well tend, to diminish
their growth and to lessen the danger
Of sudden war"
Approved by Daniels.
The report. signed by Rear Ad-
ml,ai Charles ]. Badger. president
ana former commander in -chief OF
the Atlantic fleet. was approved bv
secretary Daniels. and was transmit
ted by him to the Senate naval com
mlttee for it's information in consid-
erlng pending disarmament and
naval holiday" resolutions
Asserting that the guiding policy
that had shaped the general boards
construction recommendations% % sincs
1903 was that Of eventually creating
Navy equal to the strongest in the
world. the board urges that mo rest
period or limitation Of armament" he
agreed to by the United States thai
would modify the great naval build
ing program Of 1916, now under con
struction. in numbers, general tynes or
dates Of completion"
I'm the future. as at all times pre-
vious to the world war, we shall. in
all probability, have to rely solely
upon our own state Of preparedness,'
was note of warning the docume M
sounded.
Cessation of naval building by
Great Britain is attributed by the
general board to the great prepon-
derance in her navy of all tynes of
ships and to the present economic sif-
uation in that empire
suspension of work on the naval
building program for six months to al
low experts to determine. in the light
OF the lessons of the world war, what
types of ships are most useful, as pro
vided In the pending Borah resolution.
''is neithHr r necessary nor advisa bic" the
board asserts.
All Threats Are Met.
"The important facts regarding the
naval operations of the war are already
generally known" the report says.
Every new weapon Of offense that
has threatened the supremacy of the
capital ship has been met by a success
full mode Of defense, the report declares,
citing the development OF the torpedo
as an illustration Of the contention. The
report points to the development Of the
that invention will provide means for
meeting the future development of these
weapons and they, like their dangerous
predecessors, will continue to be only
adjuncts of the fleet
ut would be the height Of unwjsdom
for any nation possessing sea power to
pin its faith and change it's practice upon
mera theories as 20 'ha fnfu-e d.yeiop-
ments Of new and untrted weapons" the
report says. But that fact does not
relieve US Of the necessity of develop
ing to the utmost new weapons and in
ventions as rapidly as possible"
''It is easy to lay bomb on the deck
Of a ship, explode it from safe place
and then exclaim over the damage il
has wrought" the report continues "but
that same bomb from the air when un-
der gunfire and attack by enemy
planes"
Pointing to the great growth of the
American merchant marine. the report
emphasizes that no nation had ever
q IN, noto oh
large merchant fleet without. develop
ing a.navy to assist and protect 1t.