Show fSTIMATfS fOR NAVAl SERVICE PREPARATIONS MADE FOR SUBMISSION MISSION TO CONGRESS Largest Item 18000000 For Increase In-crease In Warships Fiftyfour NowBeing Constructed Washington Aug 31The secretary of the navy has directed that all estimates mates for the requirementsof tha naval service next year shall be submitted sub-mitted by tomorrow Sept 1 thus giving giv-ing him threb months for coordinating coordinat-ing them for submission to congress Accordingly the several naval bureaus have been active of late preparing their final figures and all the estimates mates with the exception of those relating re-lating to armor and ordnance will be I in hand tomorrow They show in general I gen-eral considerable increase all along I the line owing to the rapid development I develop-ment of the navy the unprecedented amount of naval shipbuilding now in progress and the enlarged demands growing out of the war and the acquisition acqui-sition of new territory The largest item is 18000000 under the head of increase of the navy which is 5000000 more than any previous pre-vious estimate under this head I is due to the unusual number of warships now in course of construction aggregating aggre-gating fiftyfour in all classes a total i much in excess of the number under i construction at any previous time in I I the history of the navy These include i eleven battleships four monitors three armored cruisers six protected cruisers cruis-ers thirtyrthree destroyers and torpedo tor-pedo boats and several miscellaneous I craft submarine boats etc The item j i i of increase of the navy covers the work already authorized and now in course of construction both in engineering engi-neering and structural branches and is I i concurred in by Admirals Hichborn and Melville chiefs of the construction I and of the engineering bureaus respectively respect-ively Admiral Melville will also make estimates esti-mates for new engineer plants equip j I i I ment tools buildings etc at Norfolk Port Royal Port Orchard and Mare Island Cal The plants are old and the requirements now made on them induce in-duce the chief engineer to recommend the most modern appliances and such a remodeling of building as will bring them up to date Admiral Endicott chief of the bureau of yards and docks will recommend two more large dry docks on the Atlantic At-lantic seaboard one at New York and the other at Norfolk The estimate will be about 1250000 each Admiral ONeils estimate on armor and ordnance will be held until his return re-turn next Monday as he has been giving giv-ing much personal attention to this important item The price of armor plate will have to be settled by congress con-gress and a large quantity of armor authorized The armor concerns refused re-fused to bid on the 300 fixed as the limit of cost by the last congress so that further legislation is necessary In order to provide for the many ships now nearing completion Aside from the bureau estimates the secretary of the navy will prepare such estimate as he deems expedient for the new ships there is no intimation thus far as to what new ships will be recommended rec-ommended but the impression prevails in well informed naval quarters that the secretar will confine his recommendation recom-mendation to three 6000ton protected cruisers to cost about 1250000 each These were recommended last year and were the only ships not authorized by congress so that it is thought likely the need of them will again be presented |