Evening star., 1924-11-23
WILBUR APPEALS
FOR MODERN SHIPS
Declares Six Older, Craft
Should Be Brought Up to
Date, in Report.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Modernization Of the six older bat
tleships Of the American fleet Is es-
sential, Secretary Wilbur declared In
his annual report. made public today,
'if our ratio of naval strength Is to
he maintained."" He indicated his
intention to renew the departments
much-debated recommendation for a
special appropriation for that pur-
pose. ~
The report omitted the annual
study OF the Navy General Board re-
lating to supplementary construction
required to round out the feet beyond
expressing the hope that the bill which
failed OF passage last session might be
considered by the next Congress. The
Secretary Is understood to have de-
cided to treat this subject in a spe-
cial report sent TO the House sub
committee on naval appropriations.
Neither did he include in his annual
report any recommendation for a
change in the Navy's authorized per-
sonnel or $4,000.
While the report Of the General
Board for the current year thus Is
withheld from publication, II is said
in naval circles to have stressed the
increasing necessity for expediting a
construction program to correct de-
ffoiencies in the fleet which. the
board held, now prevents the United
States from maintaining Its proper
ratio under the limitations treaty.
Aircraft Report to Come.
With respect to aircraft. Secretary
Wilbur said the special board ap-
pointed to develop a policy had not
completed It's work. but had gone far
enough to make certain that the Navy
already recognizes the Importance of
the air arm TO q modern fleet. The
recent contract for a patrol plane
capable of a sustained flight from
San Diego to Honolulu is believed to
have had more than casual connec-
tion with this study.
THE policy of maintaining the fleet
on the Pacific Coast Is approved and
should be adhered to-" the Seer etary
said, adding that facilities there for
its maintenance should be extended.
Inadequate funds for repair we're
the cause OF q lowered material con-
dition in the feet during the past
year, he said, and this condition might
be expected to become more serious
as the ships aged. A subsidiary ef-
fect OF inadequate appropriations
would be a breaking up Of expert
navy yard organization. the report
warned.
Four Ships "Unsafe."
The battleships Wyoming. Florida.
Ctah 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 made on all except the Florida
which still is out OF comm ssion. He
characte riZed the reboilering of these
units as "a military necessity"
Declaring the scrapping program
was progressing according to
schedule. Secretary Wilbur predicted
it's completion we'll within the period
allotted by the Washington conference
agreements. Although the report
was written before the filing of the
recent Injunction suit to prevent the
sinking in target practice of the
uncompleted battleship Washington,
the Secretary devoted considerable
space TO a description of the tests
to which that ship vas to be put.
1t was the only hull. the Secretary
said, which embodied new coustruc-
tional ideas intended to meet mod
ern mining and aerial attack, and
the department regarded II as essen
tial that information be obtained Of
the efficiency OF such installation
Had the Washington not been avail
able. the report said, 1t would have
been necessary to construct at a.
heavy cost models containing the
same features.
Takes Up Oil Reserve.
Attention was called to the need OF
formulating a new congressional
policy to control naval oil reserves
In the event that the Governments
suit against the present leases in
Teapot Dome and California is car
ried to successful verdict In the
meantime. the Secretary said, the re-
careful receivership.
The moral standard" OF the serv.
Ice Is at it's highest, the report de-
clared. and the Government is to be
congratulated upon the devotion Of
the officers who have designed. bui,l,
managed and controlled its ships"
The Navy is a great asset to the
Nation IN peace as well as In war"
the Secretary asserted. IT cannot
but believe that the American Navy is
a great asset to all nations as a guar
anty Of peace and order"
The report called attention to the
increasing shortage Of off1cer per-
sonnel, declaring it already had be-
come necessary to utilize young off,
GERS with limited service in respon-
siole positions. 1t was urged that
the allowance of midshipmen at An
napolis be increased to the capaeity
of the institution, but the Secretary
said ii would be far better to raise
the requirements for graduation and
so weed out weaker men than to
lower the standard in order to keep
necessary minimum of new officers.