UNITED STATES NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 429, 11 February 1909, Page 7

UNITED STATES NAVY.

.;,:-; ■ NEW BATTLESHIP. ;/,;;;■ .. (BT TEtEdEAPII—rUF;Ss'.<6SOCHTIOS-:-'COPtM'dIIT.)' •:'.;■' ',;'"' Now York, February 9.';; ; The American;, battleship«. 'Delaware, of 20,000 tons, has been launched.■;.-';;"; In his'message to: Congress in December the President 6aid:—, ; ; . '•/■■' ;.-•'•: ' "I approve the recommendations of'the gene-, ral board ior.ithe increase of the navyy calling especial attention .to., the : need:; of .'additional, destroyers and colliers,. and, i above, all, of, the four ■' battleships, rlt is desirable to complote, as soon as possible, a squadron of eight-battle-'. sbips of the best; existing type. . The North Dakota, Delaware, 'Florida,-, and Utah will form the,first division, of -this; squadron'.;- The four vessels proposed will form the second "division. It will be .an improvement .on tho .first,■'•', the ships being.of a heavy, 'single.calibre, or biggun type.; 'All, the .vessels■■:should; have; the same, teohnical qualilies-rthat is, -speed' and turning' oircle, and as near as possible these technical qualities should be the same as in the four vessels before; named now being built. I most earnestly recommend \ that the' general board be by law 'turned: into a general-staffs ~.','. A system of promotion by merit, either by selection or by: exclusion), or by processes, should be introduced."..Our men come,to'o old/ : and stay for 'too short a time/ in'' tho. high command positions." ' ■';■■ "■-. ':■