Evening star., 1923-08-12

600, spread over
~ period of twenty years. a con-
crete program for develop
ment of the shore establishment of
| the United States Navy, formulated by
special board and approved by Act
| ing Secretary Roosevelt, is now ready
| for submission to Congress-
The immediate outlay, to be incIud-
ed in the budget this year, is s7,67G,-
300. to be followed by slightly larger
| annual appropriations during the
next nineteen years. The estimate
| for this year includes s776,3OO for es-
sential repair work in the Philippines.
| Guam and Samoa, where, under the
treaty limitations, no new develop
| ment can be undertaken.
| OF the total of more than seven
million recommended for inclusion in
the budget this year, more than one
fourth, s2,062, 900, is for develeoeping
the base in the Hawaiian Islands, the
most pressing and vital naval need
according to all naval strategists,
that confronts the United States.
The other principal items are San
Diego naval base, s1.295,0o0; Puget
Sound, s828,000; New York gan
sett Bay $758.200; San Francisco Bay
| S470, 600; Quantico (Marines), $4,000; !;
ostonPortsmouth, s261.O0O; Phila-
| delphia. s215,500; Chesapeake Bay,
s165,0o0; Canal Zone, $250,OO0: Great
Lakes Training Station, $4,000; Key
West. Fla, 100000, and Charleston,
S32,0
For Naval Air Stations.
| Development OF naval air stations,
outlined in a supplementary report
and approved by the department, calls
| for a total additional expenditure of
| Sl6,45s,835, to be provided in equal
annual appropriations during the next
| twenty years. For the budget this
year an estimated appropriation of
| $4,000 will be needed to be augment
ed by the amounts necessary to pur-
| chase four air station Sand Point,
| Wash; Lakehurst, y. j.; Chatham
| Mass, and the Marine flying field at
Quantico, provided legislative author
| ity for their acquisition is secured
from Congress.
Carrying out of this program, navaI
!
! States a system of naval bases wet.
| equipped for the peace time opera
| tions of the Navy and susceptible ~
rapid expansion into complete bases
for war. The total cost of carrying
it out is estimated to be the equiva-
lent to the cost of seven battleships
of the California type. While the
United States cannot. under the
treaty, increase the number of its bat
tleships, it can, the report says
greatly increase the mobility and ef-
fective fighting value Of the number
1t is limited TO by building up its
bases and stations as recommended
Not until this is done will it be posi-
BILE 10 utilize the full potential
strength of the fleet.
Definite Naval Policy.
Following the army conference the
, United States found itself with def
nate naval policy for the first time
the maintenance of a fleet equal &c
that of Great Britains and five-thirds
that of Japan. A board of officers
headed by Rear Admiral Hugh Rod
man. was convened to draw up a
permanent policy for development
and maintenance of naval bases and
shore stations. The findings of this
board served as the basis for the de-
tailed study just completed after
months of work by a second board
headed by Capt. A. L. Willard. Fol-
lowing the broad recommendations
of its predecessor. which had beer
accepted as the permanent policy OF
, the Navy, the new board has worked
, out in detail a naval base develop
[ ment program. giving the order Of
, priority in which It should be carried
, out and the estimated cost in each IN
. stance.
Restricting all comment to those
portions of United States territory
where there are no restrictions under
the naval treaty on development, the
board finds that the bases and sta
tions are so lacking in capacity to
serve the fleet that its mobility Is Sc
, riously impaired. and it cannot deliver
its most powerful blows. Comment
ing on the present situation, the re-
port says:
Comparing the state Of the devel-
opment of the fleet with that of the
shore establishment as each exists to-
day. the shore establishment Is be-
hind.