The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-02-03
THE MAJOR Ship
REMAINS BASIS
OF SEA POWER
Opinion of Navy General
Board in Report to Secre-
tary Daniels Is Made
Public Today !.
ARE NECESSARY TO -
COPE WITH OTHERS
ANSWERS THOSE WHO ARGUE
THAT THE AIRPLANE AND THE
SUBMARINE HAVE SUPPLANT-
ED SHIPS

Washington, Feb. 3.-The major ship
| remains the basis Of sea power and
those who argue that the airplane
and the submarine have supplanted II,
are asking country to accept hopes
for accomplishments" the navy gen.
eral board says in a report to Sec
retary Daniels, made public today
The general board. having Kept in
touch with naval progress along all
lines" says the report, "reiter1tes
its belief in the battleships as form
ing the principal units OF the fleet.
without them the United States can
lnot hope 10 cope with existing nav
,ies."
Urging that equality in power be
the continuing naval policy of the
United States the board says there
is no thought of instituting interna-
tional competitive building, a1d no
other nation can in reason take ex-
ception to such position. a
TT cannot justly be construed as a
challenge" the report continues. "A
policy of equal or substantially equal
armaments may we'll tend to diminish
their growth and to lessen the dam
ger OF sudden war"
The report, signed by Rear Admiral
Charles j. Badger, president and for
mer commander in chief of the At-
lantic fleet, was approved by Secre-
tary Daniels and was transmitted by
him TO the senate naval COMMITTEES for
its information In considering pending
disarmament and naval holiday reso-
, lutions.
Asserting that the guiding policy
, that had shaped the general boards
, construction recommendations since
1903 that eventually creating a navy
equal to the strongest in the world,
4 the board urges no rest period or linn
4 itation of armaments, be agreed to
by the United States that would
, modify the great naval building pro-
A gram of 1916, in numbers, general
types or dates of completion.
I'm the future. as at all times
previous 10 the world war, We shall
=, in all probability have TO rely solely
n upon our own state OF preparedness.
@ was a note OF warning the document
n sounded.
n Cessation OF naval building by Great
n Britain is attributed by the general
!, board TO the great preponderance in
p her navy OF all types OF ships and to
n the present situation in that empire.
. The ships authorized in the 1915
n program are thoroughly modern. the
report says, adding that there Is 40
|, reason to believe that developments in
"a submarine or aerial warfare will seri-
a. ously detract from their value for
., many years to come. Tho work OF
70 completing the program, the report
10 continued, should not, however. deter
IL the navy from developing 10 the ut
H. most new or partially developed wca-
A pons such as submarines. aircraft and
4, aircraft carriers and maxing such ad-
40 didons TO the fleet as vill insure the
g, successful development and use o.
O. sub-surface, surface and aerial meth
4 ods OF warfare to the best possible
advantage. should the need ever arise
re A suspension OF work on the nava
an building program for six months I,
90 allow experts TO determine, In tn,
A. light OF the lessons u the world war
d. what types OF ships are most useful
,lr as provided in the pending Boral
resolution, IL neither necessary o
IN advisable. the board asserts.
ed 'The important facts regarding th'
nc naval operations OF the war are al
Ie- ready generally known, the report says
I'M Every new weapon OF offense tina
o. has threatened the supremacy OF tn
,s- capital ships has been met by sue
hi cessful model OF defense. tho repor
,is declares, citing the development o
IN the torpedo as an illustration 10 Tia
~. contention. The report points TO IN
,,e development OF the submarine and Q
aircraft and added that invention VT
ny provide means for meeting the futur
,b- dcvclopmen,s OF these weapons an
,,e they, like dangerous predecessors, wi
elk continue TO be only adjuncis OF th
mo fleet.
ats 1T would be the height OF unwL
rn- dom for any nation possessing Nc
,,e power to pin It's faith and change Il
nd practice upon mere theories az TO III
future developments OF new and VI
wa tried weapons. the report says.
lay Commenting on the great cost 4
tee maintaining modern navies the rcpol
ust declares that naturally any schcm
-ei- proposition or invention which appeal
his To offer less expensive. shorter roo
hat TO victory. Ia most attractive au
ON generally finds enthusiastic supporter
ned Time and again the naval pclIcy I
.sn.tto,.t eo sac. sf-hyool