Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-09-12

which may be advisable in party poll
teal matters, as it is in public service
Nays Shore Program.
Calling for an expenditure of $780,
$4,000, spread over a period of 20
years, a concrete program for develop
ment of the shore establishment of the
United States navy, formulated by a
special board and approved by Acting
Secretary Roosevelt, is now ready for
submission to congress.
The immediate outlay, to be includ-
ed in the budget this year, is $685.
300, to be followed by slightly larger
annual appropriations during the next
10 years. The estimate for this year
includes $776,300 for essential repair
work in the Philippines, Guam and
Samoa, where, under the treaty linn
itations, no new development can be
undertaken.
OF the total of more than seven mill
lion recommended for inclusion in the
budget this year, more than one-fourth
100000, is for developing the base
in the Hawaiian islands, the most
pressing and vital naval need, accord
ing to all naval strategists, that con-
fronts the United States
The other principal items are San
Diego naval base, $1,295,OO0; Puget
sound, $828,000; New York Narragan-
sett bay, $75S,200; San Francisco bay,
$47O,000; Quantico (Marines), $780,
900; Boston-P Portsmouth, $261 900;
Philadelphia, $215,5OO; Chesapeake
bay, $165,O00; Canal Zone $250,O0O;
Great Lakes training station, $4,000;
Key West, Fla, 100000, and Charles
ton, $4,000.
For Naval Air Stations.
Development of naval air stations,
outlined in a supplementary report
and approved by the department,
calls for total additional expenditure
OF $16,458,S35, to be provided in equal
annual appropriations during the next
20 years. For the budget this year an
estimated appropriation of $500 600
will be needed, to be augmented by the
amounts necessary to purchase four
air stations-Sand Point, Wash.
Lakehurst, N. j.; Chatham, Mass, and
the Marine flying field at Quantico,
provided legislative authority for their
acquisition is secured from congress.
Carrying out of this program, naval
authorities say, will give the United
States a system of naval bases well
equipped for the peace-time opera
lions of the navy and susceptible of
rapid expansion into complete bases
for wsr. The total cost Of carrying it
out is estimated to be equivalent
to the cost of seven battleships of the
California type. While the United
States cannot, under the treaty, in
crease the number of it's battleships,
it can, the report says, greatly in
crease the mobility and effective fight
ing value of the number it is limited
to by building up it's bases and sta
tons as recommended. Not until this
is done will it be possible to utilize
the full potential strength of the fleet.
Quicker Work Advisable.
Calling attention to the fact that all
of the items of the program would be
Immediately necessary in the event Of
war, the board declares that to spread
their completion over 20 years is a risk
and is postponement of that degree
of preparedness which constitutes
good national insurance and which is
most effective in furthering our ma
tional policies during peace. The rec
Ommendation is therefore made that if
the national finances at any time per
NIT, this program be pushed to more
rapid completion.
OF the total of $16,45S835 recon-
mended by the boards supplementary
report on development Of naval air
stations, $4,000 is recommended for
inclusion in the estimates this fall.
$554,00O for the station at Coco Sofa,
Canal Zone, and $4,000 for the Pearl
harbor station.
The board found that the develop
ment of air stations is entirely lacking
in the capacity to carry out their mis-
sion in the navy's lolicy as outlined
in the ROdman board report, which is:
L. Reconnaissance and patrol Of
coastal sea areas.
2. Convoy operations.
3. Attacks on enemy submarines,
aircraft or surface war vessels.
4. Operations against enemy vessels
engaged in attacks on our coast.
Declaring that it believes it Sim
perative for the national defense" that
the development program recommend
ed be carried out as soon as practi-
cable, the board specifies the order of
procedure in order that ''the most
urgent items of development" be initi-
ated.