Evening star., 1932-12-04
POLICY GIVES j. S.
INFERIOR NAVY,
DECLARES ADAMS
Secretary in Annual Report
DepIores "0ur Seriously
Impaired" Status.
TABLES PRESENTED
TO CONTRACT STRENGTH
Private Shipbuilding Industry in
, Serious Condition-Program
Short Of Treaty.


mining, is the conclusion reached by
Secretary Adams in his annual report
made public yesterday.
After surveying the field of foreign
navies, the Secretary deplores "our al
ready seriously impaired position" and
calls attention to the point that all OF
Japan's vessels are fully manned. while
compliments.
Presenting tables depicting the status
Of the navies of the United States, Great
Britain and Japan, Secretary Adams
says that these clearly show that our
present building program does not pro.
vide for treaty navy, replacement OF
overaverage vessels and rectifying our
already seriously impaired position rel
ative to other signatories to the naval
treaties nor for preventing further uri-
dermining of that position"
Tabulating ships laid down or ap-
propriated for since the washington
treaty was signed, the Secretary shows
that 40 ships totaling 1877, tons are
credited to the United States; to Great
Britain. 148 vessels totaling AZ, ,23S
tons; Japan, 164 ships totaling 4N' 49, 467
tons; France, 1876 ships totaling 507 ,737
tons; Italy, 140 ships aggregating 28l,-
S72 tons.
Plight Of Shipbuilders.
1.-THE private shipbuilding industry IN
the United States is in serious condl-
ton. due to almost complete lack OF
work. either commercial or govern
mental" he continues Permanent in
Jury to this vital industry would mean
serious impairment to the national de-
fense and to the maritime and general
economic welfare of the country"
Comparing the combatant ships In
commission in the three navies that are
party to the London treaty, Secretary
Adams sets down these observations:
"Of Is United States battleships, II
are in full commission, one in reduced
commission and three In reduced COM
mission being modernized. OF Is Brit
ish capital ships, all are in full COM
mission, except one battleship under
refit in reserve OF 10 japanese caNi-
tai ships. all are fully manned.
''Three United States aircraft car
riers are in full commission. OF six
British aircraft carriers, three are in
full, commission and three in reserve
commission undergoing reflt. Four
japanese aircraft carriers are fully
manned.
seventeen out of 10 British heavy
cruisers are in full commission; the
other two are in reserve commission;
~ japanese heavy cruisers are fully
manned: eight United States heavy
cruisers are in full commission and one
more will be commissioned in Noyem-
ber, 1882. (The u. S. S. Indianapolis
went into commission last month, since
the fiscal year report was comrlled)
"Of 10 United States light cruisers,
all are in full commission. or 33
British light cruisers, 25 are in fuii
commission and eight are in reserve
commission. Twenty japanese light
cruisers are fully manned.
Japan Favored to 1.
"The United States has one cruiser,
second class, in full commission. Japan
has seven cruisers, second class, fully
manned
sOf destroyer leaders, the United
States has none. OF 16 British de-
stroyer leaders, 10 are in full commits
sion and six are In reserve commission.
Japan has "a destroyer leaders fully
manned.
"Of 10l destroyers, the United States
has 70 in full commission, 10 in re-
duced commission and 10 in rotating
reserve. OF 121 British destroyers, "a
are in full commission and AZ in re-
serve commission. Eighty Japanese
QtSIIUyCIo dlC 4Qlly
"Of 81 United States submarines, AZ
are in full commission, IL are in ro-
tating reserve, and one is in reduced
commission. Of SO British submarines.
A are in full commission and eight in
reserve commission. SiXty-two Japa-
nese submarines are fully manned"
Totaling all ships, the Secretary flnds
that the United States has l48, Great
Britain 1877 and Japan 2l9, in full COM
mission or fully manned.
Turning to consideration OF mod
ernizing battleships, Secretary Adams
said that "due to curtailment OF FUNDS,
the work On the Idaho has been prac-
tically at a standstill" He adds that
"it is now hoped that the New Mexico
and Mississippi can be completed In
August September. 1888" and depend
ent on funds, the Idaho is tentatively
scheduled for completion early in 1885"
Regarding destroyers, the Secretary
said that all but three will be over
age In 1888" and that all OF these
ships ARE showing marked deteriora-
ton due TO age and service costs
are mounting yearly for maintenance,
he revealed, and this will continue
progressively as the destroyers bscome
older"
UNLESS steps are taken to replace
EEdQudily lIleSc OH OeStIOyCio, Oy ioSo
the destroyer force of the United States
Fleet will be in efficiency below the
standard set by other powers sigma
tory to the Washington and London
treaties" the Secretary warned
Conversion of Collier.
The collier U. S. S. Neptune has
been selected for conversion to an air.
craft tender, but funds are not available
for this purpose" the Secretary said,
although there is a growing need for
this type of vessel"
While construction of the aircraft
carrier Ranger continued, the Sscre-
tary pointed out that mo provision for
her ia planeS was made by Congress
which means that naval aviation must
curtail its activities along other lines
to provide the ships complement OF
planes within the limitations of the
l,000-plane five-year program" He
added that this also applies to the
newly commissioned cruisers, for whose
planes no authorization was made"
Reduction in prices coincident with
the depression enabled the Navy te
save in Its purchasing, the Secretary
asserted Dyr..g the fiscal year 1881
~.oreign materials to the value Of $50.
600 were purchased in competition with
domestic materials at saving of $20,.
0o0." The largest single purchase wa.
800 foreign binoculars at saving o.
1894 over the lowest domestic bid o.
s24,867." Also, "a purchase of foreign
calcium phosphide was made for 81 :
$50; the lowest domestic bid was abou
$1,000"
Cheaper foodstuffs reduced the es
timated cost of the ration to AZ cents
c. about 8S-l0 per cent below tn,