The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-09
MEASURE CARRIES $233, ,224, 4,00OF FOR
 NAVY DURING 1923
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 great value. They are to be put out Of commission but kept in first class condition. This policy will save the enormous expense of personnel, fuel cil. repairs and upkeep of this great fleet of surplus vessels.
 Under the terms of the treaty, the United States i sto retain IS battle ships. The appropriation carried in this bill is sufficient to provide per sonnel for keeping all of these battle ships in full commission with as large a complement of men on board as has been carried in recent months to- gether with 103 destroyers, S4 sub marines, all our available cruisers, necessary oilers, tenders. airplane carriers, ammunition ships, colliers. store ships ald every other auxiliary required to make the IS capital ship fleet complete, well rounded out, and properly manned and officered.
 Makks Cuts Effective
 Tn short, the bill seeks to give ef- by the work Of the conference and at the same time makes ample provi- sion for maintaining our relative naval strength unlmpaired.
 Tt will be interesting to the coun
 
 provided in her estimates for the coming year for but 9S,500 officers, enlisted marines and students in training schools and naval academies. This number also includes about 5000 men In the coast guard service, while our coast guard is under the treasury department. It does not, however, in- clude personnel for aviation, while the bill reported makes provision for 2.700 men in aviation. It ought also to be said that the British figures do not include about 7,000 officers, men and boys, maintained by the domin- ion governments, principally by Aus tralia.
 The whole number of officers, en- listed men, marines, students and midshipmen provided for in this bill numbers 97.600. So that the British paval establishment and ours, so far as personnel is concerned, will stand almost exactly at the same point. The estimates for the British navy. exclusive of pensions, amounts to 54, 000,00O pounds. Calculating the pound at S4.30. it's present exchange value, the British appropriation for the coming year for naval purposes would amount to S234. LOGO, 900. This bill car ries s233.224, ,000, or almost identically the same amount.
 "As to Japan. figures as to person. mel or probable appropriations are not available However, Japan is per- mitted to retain only 10 battleships under the treaty She has. all told, but 62 destroyers and c7 submarines. With such a small fleet, it is difficult to imagine how she could use in ex- cess of 10000 men in her navy.
 Preserves 5-5-3 Rntio
 "It will be seen. therefore. that whether measured by personnel pro- yided for. or by the total amount ap- propriated. or by the fighting strength and efficiency of the ships to be kept in full commission. the bill reported to Congress preserves the 5-5-3 ratio agreed upon by the conference and at the same time translates into a real ity the hope and expectancy created by the conference that the enormous burdens incident to preparation for war would be materially reduced. bespeak for the bill the whole-heart- ed support of the American people,"
 Secretary Denby's original estimate called for 90.000 enlisted men and 5000 apprentices. Because of the heavy enlisted cut the committee left the officer personnel-line and staff about where 1t was. With the elimination of 3Ss reserves now on active duty and counting 200 new of ficers from the naval academy, the total will be 6356
 The navy got nearly all 1t asekd in revised estimates for fuel the bill carrying $16.000.000.
 The committee estimated 1t would cost s150.000.000 to complete the bat tleships Washington and West Vir- ginia and two of the battle cruisers and airplane carriers
 The bill provides that any unex- pended appropriations in last years bill shall be applied toward the com pletion of vessels now under con- struction. not affected by the treaty.
 Chairman Madden. of the appropria- tions committee, declared in state ment that the only request by the navy department not complied with