Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-14
MEET TO settle D
WARSH|PS' FATE
Naval Boards Finding win
Doom Either Washington :,
or West Virginia
EARLY DECISION SOUGHT
By tho Associated pr...


washington, Feb. 14.--Tbc ~,
Board headed by Rear Admira, Mcm
roy, appointed to maze recommena"
tions as to whether the superd,..s
nought West Virginia, under con,,.a.
tion at Newport News. W., ~ -.
washington, being bnilt at Camden N
j.. should be selected for retention ma,
the naval limitation treaty, held ;ts az. s...
meeting today. The board had avs,,.l,.
all the statistics Of the 'deportm.r.
showing the stage Of completion in .s.s
case. 'e"
Secretary DENLY said It was dc,,-,h,.
that determination as TO which sh,n \.
to be completed should be reacbaIP ~
quickly as possible IN order tbat cos' -
struction work may proceed, wv
In preliminary surveys OF tbo -.
ships and probable cost Of comn'e,;or' ~'
some navy officials have been copulncos
that It would cost the Government uu .ru
proximately $500, 900 less to finish I X.
West Virginia than the Washington. ~
Skill Not Needed to Scrap Shin.
Suggestions Of leaders of navy ya,d
employees who lost their employment
through the stoppagc of work on "rs". ma..
naval ships that the yards could nv nrom;as ,sS
employment by undertaking tho payr,us scpaus
ticable by Navy Department officiaIs !.
was pointed out that the work of srran. ~
ping Is confined almost entirely ~ *.
cutting up Of the ships and the movins M %
of heavy weights, which can bc dorc
with unskilled labor. '"-
Secretary DENLY included in navoI
estimates recently presented to Conyres.
no provision for the cost of the scran.
ping Of battleships. The department
takes the position that this work IL
outside Of the ordinary naval bu,last
provisions.
In any event the breaking up of nsv
ships will not be undertaken until N.
treaty is ratified.
COontz Tells Navy's Needs
More than 200 destroycrs arc lyin,
in various ports with depleted crsvs
barely sufficient in number TO keen nm
their intricate mechanism, Admiral Rok.
ert Il. Coontz, Chief of Naval Opera.
tions. testified today before the House
Naval Committee. Only sixty.five shIps
OF this class are in operating commits.
siOn,' the admiral said, and the crews
Of these are being maintained at so per
cent Of normal strength.
The admiral supported Secretary
Denby's recommendation that the en-.
listed strength of the navy be not re.
duced below 10000. "The result of
the Limitation Of Armament Confer.
ence," he said. Twill be to place upon
each signatory Power the on,is Of keen.
ing its tonnage allotmcnts up to tbe
razor edge of efficiency. THE measure
Of the ratio Of 5-5.3 will be- the ef.
ticiency and sufficiency of the personnel
Of the fleet. No other nation has taken
any actual step toward reducing its
personnel.
Supporting Secretary Denby's request
for a naval appropriation next year Of
$3.50. 100000 Admiral Coontz said that
except for the action of the Arms Con.
ference the navy. within few years.
would have cost around 5000. 100000
annually. lie estimated it would cost
500. O.OOO.OOO to scrap the battleships
designated By the Conference.
'Thc battlcship fleet ought TO BE-
kept UP to a proper state Of efficiency"
he declared can should have at least
% per cent complement.