Omaha daily bee., 1906-05-13

placements. properly designed vessel o.
twenty thousand tons displacement shoulC
have a concentrated military power equa
to that of six vessels Of five thousand tons
each. The larger displacement gives
steadier gun platform and superior sea
qualities with less loss of speed in sea
way, while the conditions of health and
comfort are better.
The chief Disadvantages are greater
draft of water and larger turning circle,
but these Increase in similar designs only
with the cube root OF displacement, and
with altered designs can both be held with
in reasonable limits. OF course, the total
cost of this ship Is greater, but for each
military unit It is really less, ana the ma
ton with large resources like ours should
take advantage of this principle like Arm
with large capital. There is no cheap road
and short cut to naval power. The resort
OF impoverished nations to special types
and small displacements will be found TO
be an utter delusion. Naval power IL e1-
pensive but the more expensive the better,
for the size of fleets Is relative and the
nations with the greatest resources avail
able for navies are the industrial and COM
mercial nations that wish peace, while the
ornaments Of military powers are a handi-
cap in the race for sea power This Is a
great underlying fact which is sure, sooner
or later, to give the dominion of the seas
ITO the hands Of commercial and indus
LI4dl ldtlOI5 anu ~ AAAb abCAh AAAN ANA 81 VI
peace.
For the race with other Powers I esti-
mate that Americans would not be bur-
dened TO the level Of Europeans II we
maintained navy greater than the com
blned navies Of the world Furthermore,
for purposes of policy and strategy COW
ering offence operations at great distances,
the sizes Of vessels for the United states
must be larger by far than those Of any
other nation.
Taking all things into consideration
therefore, / believe We should jump at
once to battlc ships OF twenty-five thou
sand tons displacement, and armored cruis-
ers of twenty thousand tons.
The war seems not to have been prolific
in lessons In the question of armor
The general lesson taught, however Is
the importance of adequate protection for
stability, buoyancy and vitals; the word
vitals Includes stability and buoyancy.
ton has been too much diverted to pro-
tecting life. In naval warfare life Is the
last thing 10 be considered, except that
life associated with the vital functions Of
the ship. The ship Is the thing and the
vltals make the ship. In contemporaneous
war ships the guns are over protected. In
no case was a ship captured or destroyed
INV the destruction OF life or the sllencIng
OF guns They invariably sank or turned
over while the bulk Of the crew were stlll
alive and most OF the batteries still intact.
Furthermore. inadequate armOr is worse
than no armor at all. Light armOr cannot
keen out armor piercing prOiectiles. and in
the Impact explosion OF prOiectiles with
large charges the blasting effect upon the
armoF plate rocks and tears the structure
OF course. this effect Is felt upon the
heavy armOr plates. but IN a less degree on
account OF the greater mass Of the plate
The structure behind and below the
armor plate was inadequate on the Rus
sian ships. This matter should have the
closest attention. Not only should the
structure Be reinforced. but arrangements