The Washington herald., 1906-10-16

The United States navy may build ships
which will equal in strength the three
new English battle ships-the lnfiezible.
the Indomitsble. and the Invincible-
which. until q few days ago. everybody
thought were to be armored cruisers, but
which are now known to really be battle
ships OF a type ever more powerful than
the famous Dreadnought, he ship that
caused Congress last winter to author
ize the construction by the United states
OF a snip as powerful as that new Ems
iish lighting machine which attracted so
much attention.
Secretary of the Navy BonapaTte has
become deeply interested in the reports
of the new English vessels. and he has
directed the board Of construction Of the
navy, composed Of several of the highest
ranking naval officers IN Washington, to
investigate this matter of the new Eng
lish battle ships which have less dis
placement than the DreadnOught but
which will make. according 10 reports
and predictions which seem authentic
greater speed. and. carving eight e
inch guns, viii have as great = hroadside
fire. the true bases Of Judgment Of the
power Of war ship, as the big new
English ship, which is now the greatest
Of all fighting craft.
Appropriation Already Made.
Until the board OF construction
thoroughly considers the new type Of
English battle ships, gathering what in
formation il can about the vessels. it can
not be predicted what the American navy
viii do Congress has made appropria-
lions for the construction Of a new bait
ne ship which will be equal in power 10
The Dreadnought. The authorization for
the vessel does not put it just that way,
hut when the matter was up in Congress
the Dreadnought was what was consider.
I'd when the naval programme was being
prepared by the Committee on Naval
Affairs.
The news Of the new English battle ships
WIS surprising and astounding To tho
naval people here in Washington. Great
Britain has shown great originality and
Initiative IN the construction of new types
Of vessels, and considerable amount OF
effectiveness. For instance, all OF the
facts of the DTeadnoUght were not known
until the ship was nearly finished Great
claims were made Tor this vessel, and she
has since lived up 10 them. The other
day the Dreadnought. of 1880 tons dis
placement. made a speed Of over twenty
ore knots. Il is now said that the In
vjncibIe Infexible, and Indomitable
viii do better than that The three new
ships will have 60 tons less displacement
than the Dreadnought, but viii be forty
feet longer and viii make greater speed.
The three new battle ships viii carry eight
Finch guns, whereas the Dreadnought
carries ten. But the eight guns Of the
new ships will be 50 placed that as great
"A broadslde fire, eight guns, can be OBJ
tsined as by the DreadnOught. On top of
This tho new ships viii haze greater
speed. There have been reports that
they viii make as much as twenty
seven knots, bUt the officers of the navy
here do not think this viii be possible
At Work on the Plans
The Bureau If Construction % the
NAVY Department has been working for
months on the plans for the new vessel
10 BE- built by the government. II Is
20 be Of immense proportions, having q
displacement or over 2o00o tons. and al
The world viii watch the experiment close
". The Officials of the bureau are max
ing rapid headwsy with the plans, and
viii have them ready 10 submit 10 Con.
gress this wintAE. This * necessary by
The provisions ot the act providing for
the ship
II IS possible that when all of the dc
tails OF the new ships are known. this
government will change Us mind and not
build such q large ship as is now being