The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1922-03-03
FUEL DEFICIENCY
GROWS SERIOUS
NAVY MAY HAVE TO TIE UP
SHIPS-SUM INCLUDED IN RE-
PORT OF HOUSE APPRoPRIA-
TIONS COMMITTEE FALLS FAR
SHORT.

for lack of fuel to permit operation
faced the navy department as an i'm
mediate possibility tonight due to ac-
tisn of the house appropriations COM
mittee in reporting out today a de-
ficiency item of $6,2O0,000 for naval
fsel to be used during the remaiDder
of the fiscal year. The sum is about
one-half of the original deficiency es-
innate submitted by the department.
! AS drawn by the committee the bill
dses not provide for an additional ap-
preparation but merely authorized
the department to spend what it
might be able to take from other
current appropriations for fuel up to
the limit set.
Naval officials are known to regard
the situation as serious, although
Secretary DENLY refused tonight to
authorize any comment on the action
of the committee. There were indi-
cations, however, that orders must
:.-orward to all parts of the navy al
most Immediately under which no
snip would be permitted to operate
under steam for the remainder of the
fiscal year, unless administration Of
hcials were successful in including
congress to make more liberal fuel
provision.
While the navy department has
authority under existing law to Gre
ate deficiencies as an emergency mat
ter, it is known that the policy of the
administration is against that prac-
ice and that Secretary Denby pro-
posed to keep expenditures of his
department within limits Of appro-
priations if it is possible to do so.
In presenting the fuel deficiency
situation to the subcommittee on
naval appropriations, Secretary Den
by pointed out that the original es-
Inmates for the current year were
$37,000,000, which was ultimately
reduced by the department to $780,
100000 and cut by congress to ST.
100000. Of that sum only $14,000,-
900 was available for fleet fuel, and
Mr. DENLY explained that should
every ship now in commission re-
main at anchor throughout the year,
the total fuel bill to keep them under
necessary steam in port would a.
: mount to $12,85O, 900, which would
leave the navy only $1,15O,0oo for
operations under way as against $1S-
100000 requested for the 1922
yMI
Steps taken to save fuel last year
included cancellation of combined
fleet maneuvers, abandonment of the
regular full power trials conducted
annually for all ships as test Of
engineering personnel and engines
and the cancellation of all maneuvers
operations except during target prae-
t:ec..
q. Destroyers on both coasts are now
reduced to maximum Of eight hours
steaming per month to save fuel and
capital ships Of both fleets to max
inum Of five days steaming per
month. To keep within the deficiency
limit indicated by the appropriations
committee today. however, it is said,
to be obvious that even these steam
ing allowances must be suspended
and every ship from battleships and
destroyers to naval transports and
tugs be kept idle at anchor at the
dock with only sufficient steam in
their boilers to provide fire protec-
ton, lights, heating and other Vita
necessities of ship life. Training the
navy for service can not be conduct
ed under such circumstances, officers
declared, and the department is un'
derstood to be awaiting the final &C,
ton of congress on the fuel defci'
eacy with great anxiety.