The Washington times., 1907-12-22
Our BattleShipS Scored.

Henry BeuterJahI, associate Of
the United States Naval Institute
and American editor Of Fighting
Ships" is the author of an article
in the January number of McCure's
which coldly and calmly proceeds TO
point out "Why the american Navy
Is Unprepared for War" Coming
just at this time, when the whole
nation has been thrilled by the i'm
posing departure for the Pacific Of
what it believes TO be one of the
mightiest armadas known in world
history, the criticism is startling.
If, as Mr.. ReUterdahl declares, his
criticisms are based upon facts and
not opinions, then they are not 10
be brushed aside as unimportant,
10 be ignored as immaterial, or TO
be smothered by vain boastings. IL
what Mr.. Reuterdahl declares 10 be
facts are the facts, then the Presi-
dent, the Navy Department, and
Congress are in duty bound to rem
edy the conditions asserted TO pre-
vail
There are three chief defects in
our navy, according TO Mr. Reuter-
dahl, two of which are TO be found
in the ships themselves, and are
pronounced vital by him, and the
third in the method by which pro-
motions. in the service are made.
The defects in our battIeships are.
he says, the keeping of the armor
belt below the water line and the
lack of elevation in the free-bOard
and bows, which, he asserts, are so
low that the forward turret guns
and the broadside guns on the wind
ward side cannot be used to advan-
tage in a heavy sea. He paints a
picture of these conditions, as fol
lows:
Fighting at sea takes place with
ships under way and steamlng at high
speed. Our ships. when moving into
any considerable heavy sea. take in
slaqs up over their forward turrets-
What this means can be understood
from a recent experience OF one battle
ship I'm our navy. The Virginia, with
all her ports closed by steel bucklers
shipped l2O tons OF water into her for.
ward turret during a trip from cuba TO
Hampton Roads, "A few months ago
With these ports open for action dur
ing bad weather, each wave would send
through taem tons Cf water. The
electrical installations CT the machinery
which turns the turret, hOiStS the am
munitiOn and elcVates the guns would
be short-circuited and burnt out. and
the turret and its guns would be rem
dered mOtiOnless. The water would
pass down inside the turret 10 the ham
ding room. and from there directly 20
the magazines.
In other words. II would be mpOssl-
BILE in rough weather 70 aim ard fire the
forward turret guns one nalt-that Is,
of our heaviest guns. which form the
main reliance Of the modern battleship-
In the same weather. foreign battle
ships. WITH their high bows, could
fire their forward turTet guns with ease.
The handicap IS stiil worse for our
armOred cruisers. for these ships steam
faster than the battleships, and. conse-
Quently, throw up more water at their
bows: and, being longer than the bat
tleships, they plunge tnelr bows much
deeper into the waves.
But. the broadside guns on our ships
are in an even worse position than
those in tie forward turrets In the
Georgia, Idaho, and Connecticut classes
containing the twelve latest Fattle-
ships afoat-they are only about aleven
feet above the water. IN each Cf our
new Grmored cruisers. ten of the four
teen n edium guns are at the same
height. None Of these guns cOuld he
fired to windward while the ships were
steaming at battle speed against even
a moderate sea. that is. these guns
could not be fought at ali in the most
advantageous positions; for the ship
which fires TO windward holds the great
advantage cf being free from the smoke
of her fumes and guns.
It is not necessary to give more to
show how plai-1y the author has
pointed out the defects, nor how
clearly, at least 10 the lay mind, he