National Affairs: Second to Many

Almost simultaneously with Colonel Amery's remarks come reports of how our own Navy Department ranks our ships and what program it will place before the next Congress.

We are between 300,000 and 400,000 tons short in the naval displacement allotted us with the 5-5-3 ratio of the Washington Armament Conference. We need at least eight more fast cruisers, in addition to the ten now being constructed (England has 60 cruisers faster than any vessel in our navy, except destroyers, and Japan 30, completed or now being built), from nine to 20 submarines and two aeroplane carriers. We need a greater navy personnel. This last need was forcibly demonstrated when in order to send our fleet south for its spring maneuvers, it was necessary to order to the ships apprentice classes, whose schooling was not yet completed.

Captain Frank H. Schofield, who was a member of the board which drew up our naval plans following the Washington Conference, gave as his estimate that $300,000,000 would be necessary to bring our navy up to the 5-5-3 ratio. " While it is hardly probable that so large an appropriation will be asked of the next Congress, it seems certain that the Navy Department will present plans to bring our naval establishment closer to 5-5-3."