New Navy Secretary Sworn In
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WASHINGTON — President Reagan today attended the swearing-in of Will Ball, his former congressional lobbyist, as secretary of the Navy and reaffirmed a commitment to a 600-ship Navy.
At the oath-taking in the Old Executive Office Building, Reagan said Ball “takes hold of the Navy at a critical time when the defense budget has been cut four times. A 600-ship Navy remains our goal.” Ball succeeds James H. Webb, who resigned Feb. 22 in protest against Defense Secretary Frank C. Carlucci’s budget cuts. Webb charged that the Administration had abandoned the goal of a 600-ship Navy.
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