Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-03-29
lllooIaled FTe., Dispatch By special wlro.

AlFoclated Press Dispatch by Special wlrel
Washington, March 20 Since the de-
cision of the House committee on naval
affairs to recommend an appropriation
of So ,0O0 900 for the construction Of n
hattlcship larger than any now ahoat.
naval cNpcrta IN Washington have begun
a heated discussion Of tho size Of battle
ships. which shows that Admiral Dewey
is not supported by many naval officers in
his advocacy of "a hatteship greater than
the lS.O00-ton English hattloship Dread
naught.
Naval constructors arc agreed that an
effective hattlcahip with displacement
i ol 20000 tons or more can be constructed
for tho American navy. but the advisa-
/ hility OF authorizing one ship of this type
at the present time and not making an
effort 10 provide additional i6,00O-ton
| hattlcships TO supplement the quota Of
smaller ships and thus make n desirable
working unit out OF them is questioned
| by many naval authorities. At least
four hattleships Of the same speed and
with similar batteries and equipment arc
necessary, according 10 the view OF these
constructors, 10 be effective in an engage
ment Ono great battleship, oven II it.
be swiiter and have more guns than other
| plish ANYTHING in actual war and Is no
more effective than the slower and less
formidable ships with which Il is joined
IN action.
When Admiral Capps, the chief con-
strlctor OF the navy, discussed the size Of
battleships before tho House committee
ON naval aiiairs, be advocated the con-
struction Of two I6,000-ton battleships,
like the proposed battleshipa Michigan
and South Carolina. that the navy may
have four effective ships Of this type to
operate together. He assured the COM
mittee that the navy can prepare plans
for a battleship Of any BiHe, but urged
that effectiveness and not aiEe IA what
should be considered hrst. His advice
was not seconded, however, by Admiral
Dewey, who showed decided preference
for one great battleship, rather than two
smaller ones. If Congress should decide
that the new battleship must have II l2-
inch guns. as has been suggested, a ship
with displacement OF 22,0O0 tons would
be necessary in the opinion Of Admiral
Capps, and Secretary Bonaparte believes
that this will probably be the size Of the
proposed ship. The British battlcship
Dreadnaught carries only 10 l2-incb guns.
The ~ hrst-Class battleships Of the
United States navy are of eight different
types, and the variety is 50 great that few
of the ships are suitable for joint opera
tions. The ships may be classed in types
as follows:
Indiana, Massachusetts, and Oregon.
Iowa.
kearsarge and Kentucky.
Illinois, Alabama and Wisconsin.
Maine, Missouri and Ohio.
Virginia, Nebraska, Georgia, New
Jersey and Rhode Island
Louisiana and Connecticut.
Vermont Kansas and Minnesota.
Mississippi and Idaho.
New Hampshire.
South Carolina and Michigan.
This great variety is not satisfactory
TO naval officers, who are anxious that
the new construction should be harmon.
lied in such manner that moro OF the
battleships may be used in forming units
for action.
ain the clamor for the biggest battle
ship in the world many persons seem tc
lose sight of the fact that the bigger q
vessel Is the better target Il makes" one
prominent naval officer said in discussing
The proposed ship. "But, of course, thil
is world of big things, and the
United States must not be left behind
II is probable that a gigantic battleshiI
of the size proposed by Congress cannot
be completed in less than four or hv'
years. II will take almost a year 10 pre-
pare the plans for such a ship, and, con
p sequcntly Congress would really not bl
authorizing an immediate appropriation
In ease IL decided 20 approve the actor
of the House committee on naval affairs
On the other hand the authorization o
i ships Of the South Carolina and Michigan
type, il is pointed out, would mean al
immediate appropriation for plans ans
s specifications. for that type are prepared
n Great Britain constructed the Dread
II naught in less than a year from the tint
the vessel was authorized. Naval officer
: of other countries have intimated tina
J. the Drcadnaught was rushed to com
pletion that other Powers might see how
= soon England can build a new navy.
Sec Serenth Page for small Ads. receive,
!, TOO late 10 ciassijy.