The Washington times., 1902-10-28
NAVY NEEDS VESSELS
OF HEAVY ARMAMENT


Factory; 65 are in process of manufac-
ture, and sets of forgings for Jag guns of
various calibers have been delivered. on
which no work has yet been performed.
One l3-inch gun has been relihed and
six 30-caliber 6-inch B. l.. guns have
been converted into quick-firing guns
Two hundred and seventyfive gun
mounts of various types have been COIN
pleted. and a large number of others are
in process of manufacture; and much
work has been done in the way of al
terations and improvements 10 mounts
of earlier manufacture with view to
improving their efficiency. No material
change has been made in the method OF
gun construction. except that the tubes
of all guns of late manufacture of and
above inches in caliber are reinforced
to the muz2le.
The manufacture of armor has pro-
gressed in satisfactory manner. 1872
tons having been delivered at the va
rious shipyards during the past year,
and it is probable that this amount Will
next twelve months. Al the request of
the bureau the armor manufacturers
consented to Increase their faclllties tO
the extent necessary to meet the re-
uuirements of the department Efforts
were made by the bureau to Standardize
| the drawings for eight-inch and twelve
inch turrets. in order that the armor
manufacturers might have abundant
work while waiting for detailed draw
| ings OF the side and other armor. in the
absence of which work cannot be pro-
ceeded with Much to the bureaus re-
gret. it WAS unable TO carry out THIS
scheme for want OF co operation on the
/ part of all parties concerned except the
armor manufacturers, who favored the
plan suggested.
Powder and Projectiles.
NO improvement worth speaking OF
seems to have been made in the quality
of armor of late. which is to be re-
gretted, as guns. powder and pro1ec-
tiles have each made a decided advance,
rendering it all the more necessary that
there should be an improvement in the
rual,tv of armor but none seems to be
| in sight at present.
| with the exception of ignition and
| she'll powder. no black or other than
| smokeless powder has been purchased
or manufactured for the navy since the
snanish- American war. All new ships,
/
| lucky, have been supplied with outhts
| of snokeless powder and, in addition,
some thirty OF the older vessels have
been thus supplied.
The relative Importance of speed,
armor, and armament in vessels OF the
more important types is question con-
corning which the best authorities dlHer
| to a greater or less extent. for while 1t
| is generally conceded that the so-called
armored cruiser should be more speedy
than the battleship, opinions are at vari-
| ance as to the relation of speed to the
| other elements in the respective types
| of vessels.
The Speed Craze.
1T may be conceded, however. that IN
both types the highest attainable speed
| is desirable. provided it be not obtained
at too great a sacrifice of other impor-
tant qualities. All nations are afflicted
with the speed craze at intervals. and
| this country is no exception, and unless
each batch of new vessels can equal or
| beat the worlds record they are usu-
ally characterized as. failures. and in
Difference to public sentiment the ten
dency is to design vessels of the highest
possible speed. irrespective of the uses
for which they are intended. and i'll con-
| sequence enormous sums of money have
been expended by several countries ip
producing large aud fast vessels which
have but trifling value for fighting pur-
poses, and today it requires no little
moral courage on the part OF designers
to subordinate the popular element of
speed to other qualities. no matter how
important the latter may be.
"A the present time our latest designs
of battleships and armored cruisers call
| for vessels of eighteen and twenty-five
knots speed on trial. respectively,
whereas the latest foreign vessels Of
corresponding class are designed for
nineteen and twenty three knots speed.
respectively. and it will not be out of
place. therefore. to explain briefly the
cause of this seeming deficiency in our
latest vessels.
Weight and Armament
1T has always been the policy of the
United States to provide its vessels of
all classes with great battery power;
that is to so arm them that they shall be
superior to foreign vessels of equal class
in that respect. and that sentiment still
prevails; and while we have, in few
instances. subordinated all other ele-
ments to speed. it is not likely to occur
again, and the consensus of opinion at
the present time is in favor of applying
large percentages of weight for armor
and armament rather than to assigning
IL for the purpose of attaining the last
possible fraction OF knot of speed
The bureau is convinced that the
training of gun pointers is the most i'm
portant matter In connection with the
enlisted personnel that the department
has to consider today, for we are spend
ing vast sums of money for ships and
guns which will be of questionable value