The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-11-27
The Navy

SIX older battleShlpS OF the American
fleet is essential, Secretary Wilbur de-
clared today in his annual report, eff
our ratio of naval strength is to be
maintained" He indicated his inten-
tian to renew the departments much
debated recommendation for a special
appropriation for that purpose.
The report omitted the annual study
of the Navy General Board relating to
supplementary construction required
to round out the feet, and made no
direct reference to the program of ten
curisers and sundry auxiliary craft
which failed of passage in the final
hours last session. The secretary is
understood. to have decided to treat
this subject in a special report sent
to the House subcommittee on naval
appropriations. Neither did he in
clude in his annual report any reco-
mendation for change in the Nays
authorized personnel of $4,000.
While the report of the General
Board for the current year thus is
withheld from publication, it is said in
naval circles to have stressed the in
creasing necessity for expediting a
construction program to correct de-
ficiencies in the feet which, the board
held, now prevents the United States
from maintaining its proper ratio un-
der the limitations treaty.
With respect to aircraft, Secretary
Wilbur said the special board appoint
ed to develop policy had not COM
pleted its work, but had gone far
enough to make certain that the navy
already recognizes the Importance of
the air arm to a modern feet. The re-
cent contract for patrol plane cap
able Of sustained fight from San
Diego to Honolulu is believed to have
more than casual connection with this
study.
"The policy Of maintaining the fleet
on the Pacific Coast is approved and
should be adhered to, "the Secretary
said, adding that facilities there for
its maintenance should be extended
Inadequate funds for repair were
the cause of lowered material con-
dition in the effect during the past
year, he said, and this condition might
be expected to become serious as the
ships aged. A subsidiary effect of in
adequate appropriations would be a
breaking up of expert navy yard or
CARNATIONS. the report warned.
The battleships Wyoming, Florida,
Utah and Arkansas were found "un-
safe for fleet work" because of i'm
paired boilers, the Secretary reported,
but he said temporary repairs had
been on all except the Florida, which
still is out of commission. He char
acterized the reboilering of these
units as "a military necessity"
Declaring the scrapping program
was progressing according to schedule,
Secretary Wilbur predicted its COM
pletion we'll within the period allotted
by the Washington conference agree
ments. Although the report was writ
ten before the filing of the recent in
junction suit to prevent the sinking
in target practice of the uncompleted
battleship Washington, the Secretary
devoted considerable space to de-
scription of the tests to which that
ship was to be put. 1t was the only
hull, the Secretary said, which en-
bodied new CONSTITUTIONAL ideas intend
ed to meet modern mining and aerial
attack, and the department regarded it
as essential that information be OBJ
tanned of the efficiency of such in
stallation. Had the Washington not
been available, the report said, it
would have been necessary to con-
struct at heavy cost models contain
ing the same features.
Attention was called to the need of
formulating new congressional
policy to control naval oil reserves, in
the event that the government suit
against the present leases in Teapot
Dome and California is carried to
successful verdict. In the meantime,
the Tecretary said. the reserves are
being administered under a careful
receiverzhiT.
e1'he r1or&I standard" OF TIE service,
~ 81 IFS highest. the report declared,
SEND tac government is to be congrat-
ulsted upoa The devotion OF the Off
GERS whc have designed, built. nan
aged and controlled it's ships"
''The Navy Is great asset &c the
nation in peace as well as in war;"
the Secretary asserted. 81 cannot but
believe that the American navy is