The New York herald., 1921-02-04
BOARD FROWNS ON
NAVAL HOLIDAY
Urges Policy of Equal Arma-
ments and Asserts Suspen-
sion Is Inadvisable.
CAPITAL SHIP THE BASIS
Calls 1t Height Of Unwisdom
for Any Nation to Pin :
Faith on Theories.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.---The major snip
remains the basis OF sea power and those
who argue that the airplane and the
submarine have supplanted II are asking
the country to accept hopes for ac-
compIishments,' the Navy General Board
says in g. report to Secretary Daniels
made public to-day.
"The general board, having kept in
touch with naval progress along al:
lines says the report, "reiterates It's
belief in the battleships as 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 there is no
thought OF instituting International conf
petitive building" and that mo other
nation can In reason take exception to
such a position"
"It cannot Justly be construed as
challenge" the report continues. "A
arrnanents may well tend to diminish
their growth and 10 lessen the danger of
sudden war"
The report, signed by Rear Admiral
Charles J. Badger. president and former
Commander in Chief of the Atlant c hect,
was approved by Secretary Daniels ana
was transmitted by him to the Senate
Naval Committee for its information in
naval policy" resolutions.
Must He strongest I'm World.
Asserting that the guiding policy that
had shaped the general boards construc-
tion recommendations since 1903 was
that Of eventually creating navy equal
TO the strongest in the world. the board
urges that mo rest period or limitation
or armament" be agreed to by the United
States that would modify the great naval
building programme OF 1916, now under
construction. in numbers. general types
or dates of completion.
I'm the efuture. as at all times previ-
Gus to the world war, we shall In all
probability have TO rely solely upon our
own state Of preparedness" was note
OF warning the document sounded.
Cessation of naval building by Great
Britain is attributed by the general
board to the great preponderanco In
her navy OF all types OF ships and TO the
present economic situation in that en-
pire.
The ships authorized in the 1916 pro-
gramme are thoroughly modern, the re-
port says, adding that there is no reason
to believe that developments In sub
marine or aerial warfare will seriously
dstract from their value for many years
TO come. The work OF completing the
programme. the report continued, should
not, however. deter the navy from de-
veloping 10 the utmost new or partially
developed weapons such as submarines,
aircraft and aircraft carriers, and maxi
ing such additions TO the fleet as Will in
sure the successful development and use
OF subsurface, surface and aerial meth
DDS of warfare TO the best possible ad-
vantage should the need ever arise.
a suspension OF work on the naval
building programme for six months to
allow 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.
lis neither necessary nor advisable" the
board asserts.
'The important facts regarding the
naval operations of the war are already
generally known" the report says.
defence Aluayx Eound