Evening star., 1925-01-09
STUDY BY EXPERTS
MAY NOVERFOES
Of NAVYPROGRAM
Complete ReassesSment OF
Situation Might Follow Re-
port to President.
COMMITTEES MARK TIME
PENDING COOLIDGE ACTION
Final Decision of Administration
Is Waited to Clear
Atmosphere.

Although for the present the ad-
ministration is Withholding approval
of the Navy modernization and build
ing program favored by naval ex-
perts, a reassessment of the whole
situation may follow completion of a
report now being drafted by the Navy
General Board.
An extended inquiry has been made
by the board into the relative value
of battleships, submarines and air
craft, and the results probably will
be in the hands of President Coolidge
before the end of next week.
Whether anything in the report will
outweigh the Presidents desire to
avoid further extensive naval ex-
penditures is a question yet to be
determined
Meantime the naval committees of
Senate and House are virtually mark
ing time, and their members have in
dicated that the modernization pro-
posal, at least, would be pigeon
holed unless support for it comes
from the White House. The House
committee met again today, but only
to consider questions of more or less
routine character. 1t is the belief
in some quarters that a detailed
delin cation of the administration S
naval policies may soon be forthcom-
ing to clear the atmosphere of many
of its present uncertainties.
While no definite information from
official sources has been available as
to the form of the general boards re-
port. there is no doubt in naval cir
cles that it will hold battleships to be
the main element of naval power. 1t
is held to be equally certain, how
ever, that the board will lay great
stress upon the auxiliary value, not
alone of aircraft and submarine, but
also of modern cruisers.
Test Results May BE Given.
1t is understood also that by MAX
ing public a summary of the report
the administration is considering par
tial removal of the seal of secrecy
which surrounded the recent tests
with the battleship Washington
There have been intimations that
the Navy Department wants funds
for the modernization work amount
ing in all to more than s20.00o,000 and
that naval opinion favors also the
laying down at once of some If not
all of the eight cruisers already
authorized, but for which no appro-
priations have been made.
During consideration of the regular
naval appropriation bill by the Senate
committee, it was disclosed today
Navy officials testified that, while the
United States is behind the arms
treaty ratio on capital ships, aircraft
carriers and cruisers, the American
Navy is substantially ahead in de-
stoyers and submarines.
Admiral Eberle, chief of naval op-
erations. as follows:
Battleships, 5-4-3
Aircraft carriers Gncluding those
building), 5-4-4
Light cruisers, 5-1-3
Destroyers, 5-7-2.
Submarines, 5-7-6.
Secretary Wilbur told the commit
tee the United States would be on a
5-5-3 ratio in capital ships when
pending repair work on the Florida
Utah, Wyoming and Arkansas. al
ready authorized, had been completed.
Admiral Eberle said he believed the
Navy stronger today than a year ago,
but said that as time goes on and
until replacements are started in
1884 all of the world power fleets
will become weaker.
Secretary Wilbur disclosed to the
committee that the general board had
drafted plan for complete replace
ment of the Navy within 20 years with
all arms on the 5-5-3 ratio. The plan
was shown to the committee, but was
not placed in the public record.
This building program" the Secre-
tary said, is intended to develop
rounded out fleet, with the neces-
sary combatant auxiliaries, based
upon the capital ships which we con-
slider necessary"
Admiral Eberle said the American
Navy was now far inferior to the
British in aircraft carriers, and it still
would be approximately 10000 tons
behind when the two carriers now
under conversion were completed.
The Navy has 143 airplanes, he said,
which are not enough to equip the
entire fleet. He asked for 4O,100,0O0
for aircraft construction and replace
ment.
The admiral estimated that with the
light cruisers now being built in
Great Britain and Japan, it would
take % cruisers to bring the Amer
lean Navy up to a 5-5-3 ratio in that
classification if no new British or
Japanese ships are laid down.