500.A4b/140
Statement Issued to the Press by the Navy Department
Secretary Denby announces that:
During the discussion at the last Congress of the proposal to appropriate $6,500,000.00 for elevating the guns of thirteen battleships of the United States Fleet, certain statements were made in regard to the disparity between the ranges of guns of the ships of the British Fleet and those of the Fleet of the United States. These statements were made in absolute good faith, but were shown by later reports from the government of Great Britain to have been exaggerated. While the disparity does exist, it is not so great as was then supposed.
Upon the representations; of the Navy Department, Congress appropriated the sum asked for. In view of the discrepancy between the statements of the Department and actual conditions, the Department has determined not to employ the money appropriated for [Page 32] the purpose of increasing the elevation of the guns of the American Fleet until further directed to do so by Congress.
This course has the President’s approval.