The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-02-04
FINISH BIG SHIPS,
NAvYBOARD URGES
Warns Against Proposed Sus.
pension Of Building
NEW DEVICES ONLY HOPES"
5attieships Still 5uIawFks of Navy.
Says General 6eard-calI For Ar.
manent Equality. --.,

Washington, Feb. 4.--The major shjr
remains the basis of seapower an(
those who argue that the airplane ans
the submarine have supplanted 1t ass
asking the country to accept hopes
Tor accomplishments" the navy general
board says In report to Secretary
Daniels.
The general board, having kept ir
touch with naval progress along al
lines" says the report, "reiterates its
belief in the battleships as formia,
the principal units Of the feet. With
out them the Un;tatl Staies tanIe.
hope to cope with existing nayics."
Urging that equality IN power /.
the continuing naval policy Of tn.
United States" the board says t!aer
is mo thought of institasing interaa
tional competitive building" ami tia
no other nation can In reason TAX
exception to such f position"
1T cannot Justly be construed AS
challenge" the report continues. "a
policy of equal or Substantially cuual
arlnaments may well tend to diminish
heir growth and to lessen the danger
of sudden war"
The report, signed by Rear Admiral
Charles !, BADGER, president, and for
mer commander-in-chief Of the Allan
tic feet, was approved by Secretary
Daniels and was transmitted by him to
the senate naval affairs committee for
It's information In considering pending
disarmament and naval holiday resa-
lutlCns.''
Asserting that the guiding policy
that had shaped the general boards
construction recommendations since
1903 was that Of eventually creating
navy equal to the strongest IN the
world, the board urges that mo res
period or limitation of armament" b.
agreed to by the United States that
would modify the great naval-b,lild!ng
program Of 1916, nov under construe
tion, in numbers, general types or
dates of completion"
in the future, as at all times pre-
yious to >Ihe world war, we shall, In
all probability, have to rely solely upoE
our ogY state Of preparedness" " was
note Gf warning the document sounded
ThS ships aatilsFlaaa mi the 1915
program are soFssfss Ifso6ssf6 F...ss
report says, adding that there is no
reasoIi,to believe that Developments In
&lbmaffNe or aerial warfare will serl
ously dttract from their value fo
many years. to come.
The work of completing the program
the report continued, should not how
ever, deter the navy from developing
to the utmost new or partially develop
ed weapons such as submarines, air
craft and aircraft carriers and maxim
such additions to the feet as will IN
sure the successful development an'
use of submarine surface an'
aerial methods Of warfare to the bes-
possible advantage should the mex
ever arise.
A suspension OF work on the naT:''
building program for slx months tc
allow experts to determine, In the iigh:
of the lessons of the world war, wha
types of ships are most usemul, as pro
vided In the pending Boran resolutions
"Is neither necessary nor advisable :
the board asserts.
Every new weapon Of effense fha'
has threatened the supremacy OF tht
capital ship has been met by success
ful mode of defense, the report 0e
clares.