The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-02-13
Appeared Before the
House Naval Commit
tee With a New Pro-
gram That Would Put
Out of Commission
One Hundred Destroy
ers Immediately

Washington. Feb. 13.-Secretary
DENLY appeared before the house nav
al committee today to recommend
that the navy personnel for the neXt
fiscal year be fixed at 10000 men and
5000 appren ices as compared with
| the 100000 men and 5000 apprentices
now authorized.
>, Mr. DENLY recommended that there
be no reduction in the existing
strength of line Offices of the navy;
that the first class at Annapolis be
graduated and commissioned, bu. that
appointments to the academy hereaf
ter be reduced to three for each men,
Der of congress instead of five.
The naval secretary recommended
that 100 destroyers be placed out of
commission. He estimated that til
program he outlined would effect
saving of $40 100000 in next years
budget.
Mr. DENLY pointed out that until "a
knot cruisers now under construction
were completed the navy would have
no vessel other than the destroyer
capable of making even 25 knots an
hour" since the battle cruisers were
not to be completed
"In other words" he said, 1--WE shall
have no scouts. l take it there is no
question as to the completion Of
these ten scout cruisers and that the
work will proceed upon them with
rapidity until they are finished"
The secretary said figures on per-
sonnel were based on assumption and
his belief that the navy could not
dispense with any of its present per-
sonne" with the exception Of the re-
duction in enlisted strength of 10000
men here recommended.
Mr.. DENLY said navy officials had
"loyally and earnestly cooperated in
the efforts at national retrenchment.
Since he took office, he added, 246
naval ships had been sold and the
money turned into the treasury and
as further retrenchment naval naval
revolving fund of $150,000,000 would
be reduced to S15O,0O0,000, the lowest
figure to which it appeared safe to cut
it. The $100,000000 cut off the fund, |
he said, would be turned into the
treasury in cash.
Mr.. DENLY said that by placing 100
destroyers out of commission and the
1000 enlisted men and effect a saw
ing of $13, 100000. An additional g.
900 enlisted men could be cut off he
added, in contemplated economics at
shore stations.
"T need scarcely add that if it is
found at any time that we can dis
pense with more men with due regard
to the proper insurance of the United
States against that possible attack
frJm which even treaties do not abso-
lutely guarantee u.s. Mr.. DENLY said.
''the men will be withdrawn and the
ships disposed of.
81 make these recommendations in
the most earnest belief that the United
States needs the protection that the
navy as above indicated will give un-
der present world conditions. 1t is
not in any sense a navy for aggres-
sion that is asked for; it is a navy
for protection and to discharge the
many missions not connected with
war and reuired by our government at
all times"
Mr.. DENLY said that estimated
Withdrawals from the treasury for the
navy for the fiscal year 1922 were
|. $47S, 100000. With the economies he
.nlanned the reduction in the building
program and the placing out of COM
mission 100 destroyers, headed, he
felt confident the 1928 fiscal year es-
Inmates could be reduced to $35O,OOO,-
900.
Secretary Denby's statement point
ed out that since 1919 the war time
naval establishment had been reduced
from 1852 vessels in commission to
900, the commissioned personnel from
32,209 to 6,163 and the enlisted force
from 4S0,723 to 100,999.
"It is not easy" he said, ito get
back to normal condition from such
vast expansion"
DIR. DENLY said the net result of the
naval limitation conference today is
that Great Britain is to have % cap
itql ships, the United States Is and
Japan 10, there being no limitation
on auxiliary combat craft except as
to the size and a remnant of future
vessels.
When the conference opened, Mr..
DENLY said the United States had 46
battleships, 35 cruisers, 317 destroy
ers, 148 submarines, 1877 auxiliary
craft and 164 mosquito fleet vessels.
"By the terms of the treaty" he
said. the United States will have re-
naming Is battleships, 316 destroy
ersy 33 cruisers, lat submarines, 1876
auxiliaries and 152 small vessels It
lis clear that no definite conclusions
as to the future strength OF the Unit
ed States navy should be reached un-
til ratification by the senate Of the
pending treaty because we shall not
know absolutely until then that the
treaty viii become effective. This
complexities the question OF person