The New York herald., 1922-02-19
FLEET NOW DENBYl
PRINCIPAL CONCERN
Secretary Represented as Dis
posed to Reduce Atlantic
Yards to Two.
NEW YORK AND NORFOLK
Enlisted Naval Force of 10000
Believed to BE Minimum
Required at Present.

WASHINGTON, Feb IS (Associated
Fress).-Members OF Congress have
gained an impression at the Navy De-
partment, it was learned to-day, that
Under Secretary Denbys announced
policy of concentrating efforts on main
tenance of the navy afloat. the shore
establishment particularly along the At
lantic coast, would be first to feel the
effect of reduction of naval appropria-
tlons for next year, to $250.00o, 900 or
less. as has been suggested in the House
Naval Committee hearings. MI.
DENLY asked for $35O.000, 900 to keep
the fleet at the 5-5-3 ratio strength
provided for under the naval limitation
treaty.
The Secretary's purpose to make The
fleet his first consideration caught the
attention of members of both Senate
and House from navy yard States ahd
districts. They have inquired at the
department just what yards might be
abandoned should the indicated slash In
funds be made. They were told no deft-
mite plans had been laid.
1t was said to be obvious from a milA-
tary view, however, that only two Atl
lantic yards, New York and Norfolk
would be regarded as vitally essentia I,
to the present Atlantic fleet, and tina q
even at these reductions of radical
nature would be made, If necessary. fo-
the sake of keeping the maximum force
afloat.
The Congressional callers are urder-
stood to feel that Mr.. DENLY would rec
ommend the closing of all other Atlantic
yards and the lease or possibly even the
sale Of the shore plants rather than sac
rifice any important fleet unit, although
no such plan has actually been formu-
lated.
The question of personne; figures In
the problem, because. roughly, two men
can be maintained afloat for every man
held ashore. In other words, it takes
one-third of the enlisted force to keep
up the purely military tasks ashore upon
which the success Of the fleet depends.
The civilian employees, the yard me.
chanics and others are in addition to
this enlisted force ashore.
Secretary Denby's suggestion that by
putting 100 destroyers out of commission
and reducing compliments on many of
the active ships to a point which officers
declare will work against their efficiency
be possible to keep the navy going with
10000 men. a reduction of 10000, means
a floating navy of about $4,000 men.
This is declared at the Department to
be the minimum necessary to keep even
a semblance of the five-five-three ratio
strength afloat.
Reduction of the total enlisted force
to $1,000. figure tentatively suggested.
would mean, 1t Is stated. reducing the
active capital ship strength under the
treaty to six battleships and the placing
of twelve battleships in reserve with
only crews sufficient to keep them me-
ohanically fit for operation. 1t would
mean also adding another hundred de-
stroyers TO the hundred already slated
to be laid up with only caretakers
aboard and it would mean cutting the
active submarine force to the bone and
the laying up Of unnamed submersibles.
At least three important Atlantic
yards, including the Boston yard, would
be closed down completely under such
q program, 1t Is said.
The situation thus pictured. and which
is understood to have prompted the Ad-
ministration to abandon any thought OF
getting down to the $1,000 enlisted
strength figure in present world condi-
tons, is believed to have been laid
frankly before members of Congress by
department officials whenever the OPP
portunity presented itself.