New-York tribune., 1922-02-14
Use Shears ON
Navy, Not Ak,
DENLY Pleads
Secretary Deprecates Dispo-
sition in House to Cut
Heavily Into Estimates
as ali Economy Measure
Recommends 9O,OOOMen
Promises to Slash Expenses
TO Keep Total for Year
Down to S35O.OOO.

y
: the Navy DENLY to-day begged the
rs,se 10 use pruning shears instead OF
=, axe in cutting down the navy. His
.,rearance before the Naval Affairs
Committee was the opening play in the
,ottest to be staged during the next
.su weeks between the Secretary and
strong group in the House that. as
an economy measure. wants to trim ma
val appropriations to the limit. Some
in this group want to cut the size Of
the navy even below the figures fixed al
the armament conference.
Secretary DENLY recommended that
the personnel for the next fiscal year
10 fixed at 10000 men and 5000 appren-
tees in case the naval treaty Is rati-
fed. His figure is slightly larger than
the minimum Of 10000 suggested by
President Harding a week ago. Com
cared with these figures, the demand
IN the House Is for not more than
$1,000 to 10000 enlisted men. with the
1 per cent ratio OF comms ssioned off,
GERS. Even among the most conserva-
tive members the feeling is that at
east s2O0,00o,0o0 should be Topped off
Ms navy appropriations for 1923.
DENLY TO Save $70.00O,OOe
The Secretary's program, which in
dudes the Withdrawing from commits
sion Of 100 destroyers. would mean a
total saving Of about s7o,o0o,0oo, ac-
,ording to estin ates.
Secretary DENLY read this statement
10 the committee:
AT present we have in the navy in
full or in part commission or in re-
serve eighteen oattleships, on which
re stationed S02 commissioned officers
and 1899 men; twenty three cruisers,
with 237 officers and 5,438 men; 27S
destroyers, with 962 officers and 1882
men; l01 submarines, with 1876 officers
and 2,422 men, and 1856 auxiliary craft
ranging from great troop ships and
supply vessels down to subchasers, 878
officers and 26,200 men; and ashore we
have at all shore stations of every
kind, navy yards, factories, supply
depots, recruiting stations, wireless
and communications stations and all
other shore, domestic and foreign ac-
tieiues, 2l,9l7 officers and 28,80O men.
ne above figures are approximate.
The battleships to-day have about 81
per cent complement, the cruisers 100
per cent, destroyers so per cent to so
per cent submarines 100 per cent. and
sQxiliaries 10 per cent.
III is quite clear that the navy in
BOA enlisted and commissioned per
saae is Undermanned to-day, the total
pHs0nnel consisting of 6,129 commits
a'snsd officers and $1,000 enlisted men
Eighteen Battleships Essential
1T is clear in your minds un-
sNttedly that the rule applied in ap-
lattonlns of vessels in the differen,
aayieS was what was called the navies
anaed for national safety and the re-
!1lts were arrived at after most care
:ai study Of the situations confronting
each nation participating in the treaty
1tmust be assumed, therefore, that
eighteen battleships is regarded by the
gTernments slgnatory to the treaty as
'ne necessary quota for the safety of
aN United States.
'As we are entirely deficient in fast
.lght cruisers. and as they are provided
F III the treaty, there can be no ques-
sn that these 7.500-ton ships now
'Nldlng, which Will have a speed of
'proxlmately thlrty-four knots and
Mlncn guns, should be completed.
We nave no battle cruisers, so that if
We GO not have these ships we shall
ave no vessel in the navy other than
.ae destroyer capable of making even
twenty-five knots an hour. In other
I xofcs' we shall have no scouts. | take
mere Is no question as to the COM
f.euon OF these ten scout cruisers and
nas w'.s 'he work will proceed upon them
MN ~ rapldity until they are finished.
N quite evident that if we are
tion ii n'4n 70 anything like an approxima-
NV. " lull strength We cannot dis
sJ''e ~, WIN any of the present person.
'e' except as shall later propose.
Would Retain Officers
-. recommend 70 the Naval Commit
w. w. mat the commissioned personnel,
Az. now adequate FOR its duties. be not
...easeo | recommend that the first
ss'S ...S at the Naval Academy be gradu-
S,aa ~ ana commissioned in the United
S"Ns Sss Navy, propose at once to
~su: s"' 70 retire and put out of COM
ss'oh mn'n io0 destroyers and the ac-
I..s'pan!ing tenders. etc, thereby re-
~a'ng o'loO men and effecting d saw
~ Q, S'3'40o0o0 also expect by
ssnomles IN the enlisted personnel at
,a ne stations and small craft to be
s luf,her to reduce the enlisted
,SsvnheI ssv ny $500 additional men, at
Tsving Of $3.60oOO0.
~, ~ Co9nslderation of these savings
,. sm aole to recommend appropria-
sosS ior only 80 000 enlisted men and
ssV ,aes apprentices for the fiscal wear of
Law al case the naval treaty becomes
.ouaa need .. scarcely add that if it is
wv al any time that we can dispense
pron.. .ore men, with due regard to the
ap,s' insurance Of the United States
ssaat esaast that possible attack from which
srtss "ea'ies do not absolutely guar
;.s s'sSe e, US, the mon viii be withdrawn
"e sniPs disposed of.
liz "a" these recommendation in
Sts,ss 'VS' earnest belief that the United
law needs tho protection that the
Der . @s above indicated Will give un-
10, r'eSent world conditions 1t is
son shy any sense navy for aggres-
er nr" WAY Is asked for; it is, a navy
aanv ''otectlon n':n and to discharge the
nd i, ,.n. missions unconnected with war
tines sSeu'fed by our government at all
~ ss'es Estimated at $3.50, 900, 900
! lssssu,s's ,ss','aated withdrawals from the
/ esrs 1870 lor the navy for the fiscal
dent ~ are S47S.000,00 feel con-
'sec,ed WITH the economies already