ARMY AND NAVY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 115, 14 May 1908, Page 2

ARMY AND NAVY.

UNITED" STATES iIAE^STIAEMJE

APPROPRIATIONS.

oTVO FOR THE NAVY,

MILLIONS FOR PACIFIC FORTS.

. . WASHINGTON, April 8. The naval appropriation bill .authorising the construction of two instead of four battleships and eight - instead of four submarine, torpedo boats, and carrying a total appropriation of 103,967.518 dols. for the riaiva] service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1909, was reported to the House to-day by Chairman Foss of the Committee on Naval Affairs The . total appropriation recommended is -22;515,831d015. less than the aggregate estimates submitted by the department, and 3,663,916d015. more than the amount appropriated for the fiscal year ending . June 30,. 190 S. The bill carries an item of 1,000.000d01a -towards the construction of submarine torpedo boats and an item of 445,000d015. toward the construction of subsurface torpedo boats. Provision is made for the enlistment of 6000 men to man the following ships, which are to be put into commission within the.next few months: The California, Mississippi, Idaho, New Hampshire, South Dakota, North Carolina, Montana, Chester, Birmingham and Salem; and for 1500 men required to man torpedo boats not now in commission. Representative Hobson of Alabama submitted a minority report recommending that provision be made in the bill for four first-class battle-ships instead of two.

Hobson says: "It may be remarked that at this critical juncture, when the world is drifting toward wars, the failure on the part of America to build up the naval power adequate to keep peace in the Pacific ocean will be liable to entail not only a war between America and Japan, but ultimately a war between the white race and the yellow race and would prevent the carrying of the gospel Of peace throughout Asia. The true policy for a Christian to advocate is to have his country, the great peace country, keep the. peace here and create opportunity for the church to reach the myriads of Asia and carry the gospel TJntil every knee shall bow.' " .. Among the items in the bill are the following: Naval training station, Great Lakes, 1,095,600d01s ; construction and machinery. 9,532,902d015.; armour and armament, 7,000,000dols; equipment, 400,o6odols; -sub-surface and submarine boats, 1,445,000d01s The bill further provides an appropriation of 410,000d015. for replacing the 3pounder and sis-pounder guns by threeinch 50-calliber or larger guns, because of the increase in the effective range of the latest type of torpedo. These new guns are designed to give the ships protection against long range torpedo discharge. Provision is made for other changes intended to keep the batteries of the .ships in the highest state of efficiency. Nine hundred and fifty thousand dollars is appropriated-.fp.r torpedoes and the converting of torpedo boats. The appropriation for arming and equipping the: naval militia is increased to 100,000 dols., "in order that this brarich of the naval reserve-of the United States may "be more efficiently conducted." : The appropriation for equipment of vessels is increased 500,000dol's over the

current fiscal year on account of the increased number of ships in commission - and the necessity of fitting them with the new gun-firing apparatus and wireless telegraphy. The appropriation for coal and transportation is increased SSO.OOOdoIs. For provisions for the Navy an appropriation is made of 6,547,903d015. The report accompanying the bill states that an allowed increase of 100,000dols in the appropriation for provisions for the marine corps "is due to the incransed cost of 16 per cent in the price of sf.ntions." The report shows that there are in course of building seven battleships, four armoured cruisers, three scout cruisers, - five torpedo-boat destroyers, four sub-marine-torpedo boats, two colliers and two sea-going tugs. The amount necessary to be appropriated to pay for the - work now progressing and contracted for during the next fiscal year is 17,232, 962d015. Under the heading " Naval programme" the committee recommends that the President shall be- authorised to have con structed two first-class battle-ships, to ' "cost," exclusive of armour and armament, 'not exceeding 6,000,000 dollars each, ter. torpedo boat destroyers, to have the highest practicable speed, and the cost, exclusive of armament," not to exceed 800,000 dollars, each; that the Secretary of the Navy be authorised to have constructed eight submarine torpedo boats, to cost in the aggregate not more than 3,500,000 dollars, of which amount one million dollars is appropriated; one submarine torpedo boat at a cost hot to exceed 400,000 dollars, and two small vessels of like types not to exceed in cost 22,500 dollars each—total, authorisation "0f""23,940,000 dollars, which, will be in- ." creased 7,000,000 dollars by the cost of " arming and equipping the two "battleships."

" The report shows that the naval construction" programme of the several foreign "powers' contemplates the expenditure of the following amounts for vessels as indicated during the coming fiscal year:

England: Three battleships of the Dreadnought type, one fast unarmoured cruiser, five ocean-going destroyers, 12 first-class torpedo-boats,, twelve submarines—39,4ls,6so dollars. France: Five destroyers, ten submarines— 18,695,346 dollars. Germany: Two battleships, one armoured cruiser, two scout cruisers, twelve destroyers and several submarines — 30,575,360 dollars. Japan: 17,965,793 dollars for construction and repair, including the restoration of Russian warships taken as prizes Russia: 15,000,000 dollars for construction and repairs. Brazil: Three battleships, two scout cruisers, eighteen torpedo boats and destroyers.

The relative positions of-the several Fower s m naval strength is shown to be as follows:— Ships built: - Great Britain, United States France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Italy, AustriaShips "Built and building.-—Great Britam, France, United States, Germany Japan, Russia, Italy, Austria.

. The President sent a message to Congress urging the budding of four firstclass battleships this year instead of two, pointing out that if America did not increase her navy at a more rapid rate she would fall behind the other Powers in relative'strength. He advised Congress to emulate Britain's naval policy and pointed out that the best way to' avoid insult was to be able to repel it and that to secure peace she must be' prepared for war, espeeiallv as her sea-

boards" fronted both oceans. . Both; Houses, however, .refused' to. vote ■ the; increased appropriations, and only two keels will be laid"" down during the* preWt financial year.

PACIFIC COAST DEFENCE&

WASIHNGTON, April 14.

If Congress grants the increase in the~ Fortifications Bill agreed on by the SubI committee on Fortifications of the Appropriations Committee, San Francisco will be allowed money to make it the best fortified port in the United States, save only New York, and the equal of that. After full consideration it was agreed to raise the. contemplated increase over the amount allowed the Pacific CoaSt in the House bill from a million and a-half, as first intended by the committee, to over three and l one quarter millions. Of this about a million and a quarter is for Puget Sound.

A summary of the figures is as' follows': Fortifications . estimates for 1909, 38,443,940.36' dollars; amount of House bill, 8,210,611 dollars; increase recommended by Senate Committee, 3,278,528 dollars; amount as reported to Senate, 11,489,139 dollars; amount of appropriation act for 1908, 6,898,011 dollars. Bill as reported is 26,954,806,.35 dollars; less than the estimates, and 4,591,128 dollars more than the appropriations for 1908. -

This amount of money will be sufficient in the opinion of the War Department, to complete installations under way on the Coast. San Fraiicisco, Puget Sound, Columbia River, San Diego, Hawaii and the Philippines will benefit principally. Certain plans for San Diego will' await the deepening of the channel, but much will be done there if the appropriation passes. Senator Flint tried hard to get an appropriation for San Pedro, but he could not get consideration from the committee because the plans were not ready, and the War Department was unable to show plans because it wants to sell the sixty acres of its own on the •harbour front or exchange it for ninety acres located where, in its judgment, defence work would be more effective.

[We have heard by cable that the Fortifications Bill was passed by Congress.]

TO RETAIN ONLY BEST OFFICERS.

WASHINGTON, March 27.

The statement was made by AssistantSecretary of the Navy Newberry to the House Committee on Naval Affairs today that at the rapid rate of graduation of midshipmen into the Navy which now obtains, fifteen or twenty years hence the active list of the Navy would contain lieutenants fifty years old- To obviate overcrowding the grades, Newberry suggested a plan which he said had the approval of the Department to retire yearly fey selection a certain percentage of officers, weeding out the less efficient and retaining in active service the best. To this end the Department has submitted for consideration clauses to be inserted! in the Navy personnel bill -which is now before the Committee. It is proposed to assign officers on the reserve list to shore duty only and to provide for promotion of one grade only, retirement to be by application as now provided.