Evening star., 1923-08-12
NAVY TO SUBMIT HUGE
SHORE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Congress Will be Asked to Pass on Ex-
penditures of sl55, 900, Involv-
ing Navy Projects.

This condition arises, first, from
the fact that rapid advance has been
made in recent years in the number.
size and characteristics of naval YES
sells, including aircraft; and. second
| from the fact that ii has been more
difficult to secure appropriations for
the shore establishments than for the
fleet.
Not One Station Adequate
THE United States naval shore es-
tablishment has not one station which
fully meets the requirements of a
naval base. The only area which ap-
proaches these requirements is the
Chesapeake bay area. The Chesa-
peake bay area Is lacking in certain
submarine and destroyer facilities,
supply and industrial facilities, which
can be supplied at an estimated cost
of about s7,OO0,OOO.
mo other naval station approaches
the total requirements Of a naval
base. The deficiencies of the other
areas designated as bases in the re-
port are great. For example, in or
der to secure safe anchorage for the
fleet. which is a necessity in any
naval base-extensive dredging and
channel improvements in the island
OF Oahu to create a naval base in the
Hawaiian Islands; the dredging Of
He'll Gate in New York harbor to ac-
commodate the largest and deepest
draft naval vessels is essential to the
development of the New York Narrf-
gansett bay base: the establishment
of operating, supply and major ship
| drydocking and repair facilities is
necessary at San Francisco bay. and
drydock of the largest size, with
additional berthing and repair faciH-
ties, is necessary al Puget sound
| Other bases and stations require i'm
provements to a less degree
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
twenty years is risk and is post
| ponement of that degree of prepared
ness which constitutes good national
| insurance and which is most effective
t in furthering our national policies
during peace. The recommendation
/, therefore made that if the national
/ f'"-nces at any time permit this pro-
- m be pushed to more rapid CON
.iusion.
Ss2O,OO0 for Fall Estimates.
OF the total of s16.45S.S35 recon-
mended by the boards supplementary
report on development of naval air
stations, $4,000 is recommended for
inclusion in the estimates this fall,
S554.O00 for the station at Coco Sola.
Canal Zone, and s266, 900 for the Pearl
harbor station.
The board found that the develop
ment of air stations Is entirely lack
ing IN the capacity TO carry out their
mission in the Navy's policy as out
lined in the Rodman board report.
which is:
l. Reconnaissance and patrol Of
coastal sea areas.
.. Convoy operations.
3. Attacks on enemy submarines
aircraft or surface war vessels.
| 4. Operations against enemy YES
sells engaged in attacks on our coast.
Declaring that il believes it Tim
perative for the national defense
that the development program recon-
mended be carried out as soon as
practicable, the board specifies the
order of procedure in order that the
most urgent items of Development
be initiated.
In this connection the report says:
The experiences of the recent war
indicate that in the event of hostili-
ties there will be great expansion of
tn naval air stations. With the neces-
sity of economy in mind, the board
has provided development program
to cover twenty years. which pro-
vides only the minimum requisites
to give nucleus around which neces-
sary wartime expansion can be built
The total cost of this program is s16,-
45SS35, and its expenditure at the
different stations has been divided
for performance so that an equal ex-
penditure will be incurred yearly for
a period of twenty years in accord
ance with their urgency or priority,
as given in the approved naval plans
for national defense
| Development of the uses of rigid
airships of the largest type in war Is
in such an experimental state that the
board did not include the construction
of large rigid hangers in the program,
but left 1t to the future.