The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-03
ENGLANL'S NEW WARSHlPS
lord SeIbOrne Issues an Interesting
statement

Lord Selborne. in the interesting and
important memorandum winch he issued
this year with the statement "eXpiana
tory of the navy estimates referred TO
four vessels OF a new class and type
which were included in the programme of
shipbuilding Tor 1920. lie said that When
destroyers were first designed it was
not contemplated that they would be fire.
Quently used otherwise than as working
from a fixed base. Experience however,
has shown that vessels with greater sea
is TO be found in another statement 10 the
effect that the speed Of the vessels viii
be about p knots. their engines Of l6 G10
10 j. 900 horsepower and their displace-
ment between 300 and 1850 tons. 1t is
noteworthy in this connection that the
keeping power are required Cor service
with fleets and according 20 the Board
OF Admiralty have decided both material
y to strengthen the type OF future des-
troyers and also to create d new class
Altogether. 1t was decided, moreover. not
to initiate design for this new class OF
vessel at the Admiralty, but to invite
the private shil builders Of the country
TO give the navy the benefit of their Gre
atve ingenuity 10y submitting designs
to fuldu certain stated conditions. The
Secretary of the Admiralty, in the House
OF Commons on February y. last, also
referred TO the new class Of vessel, ana
described their purpose as follows
There are quarters of the globe IN
which We are compelled TO act at some
distance from our base, and it is found
that under these circumstances it is not
always easy to submit the work, which
In home waters might safely be inuust
Cd To the ordinary destroyer. TO a yes
sci of that type. and 1t is believed We
re justified in making The experiment or
iullding vessels somewhat more hsbita-
bic. somewhat more sea-keeping and with
somewhat heavier armament tnan the or
binary destroyer, which viii thus be en-
abled 10 perform the work of destroyers
al some distance from their base.
1t was remarked at the time that the
work of torpedo-boat destroyer, as in
dicated by i,s name was not that OF a
scout. but its original function had been
largely superseded by another, that Of
acting as a feet messenger or naval
gaIloper," and for this purpose it was
rather too himsy and possessed too small
a capacity for carrying fuel. The idea.
therefore. of a larger vessel was welcom-
ed by the naval service. The only furth-
or indication of the characteristics OF the
rev class which has been made public
Archer class, which belonged TO the sup
Elementary of lSo5-S8 were originally de-
scribed and designed as scouts. these
vessels having "a speed of 16 to Il knots.
a Z
displacement of between l.5S0 and ITO
tons The Pelorus class OF ten years
later date were also at one time officially
q, scribed SIS scouts" although they are
stiu heavier vessels.
The proposal 90 draw upon the iuven-
tive resources Of the private shipbvilder
proposal officially confirmed by Mr.
Arnold Forster in Liverpool. last night
was unquestionably an excellent one, Tor
there must be several OF these firms
which possess information and experience !
c1 the greatest value in this connection. /
Nearly al the principal shiubuilders are !
understood to have competed and it was
rot until this week that It became known /
that tho admiralty had decided To accept /
The tenders OF Aiessrs Viclors. Sons. & |
Maxim, Aiessrs Laird MeSsrs. Arm I
streng. Whitworth & Co. and the Far /
field co. Of Glasgow. Presumably each +
firm wiz build To It's own design althcush F
IT IS. OF course. within the power Of the /
Admiralty 20 Introduce such modi1oa- /
zion as they deem to be necessary. In /
any ease. the result Of The efforts Of the /
four firms VIII be awaited with much
interest ana in the hone thar by their
5o.nt enleaNors the problem - supplying
an emci5at "seout" of adequate spsed
end power, bar not of such large dimen-
sions rs u lose altogether thtt quality
az comparative iavis.on.ty which Is SO
London Times Corresp onderle.