The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1907-12-27
ALLEGED DEFECTS
OF OUR WARSHIPS

Naturally the criticism at this time
of our warships, in an article by Mr..
Reuterdahl, in January McClure's
Magazine. is attracting a great deal
OF attention. Only the other day the
battleship fleet started on its long
journey to the Pacific coast and the
American people were led TO believe
from what was said about the ships
in the public prints that they were as
good and effective as the battleships
Of any other nation. Just before the
feet started on its voyage Admiral
Evans. who commands it, said that the
ships had no superiors.
II seems to be admitted that Mr..
| Reuterdahl didn't write the article be-
cause of any hostility to our naval
constructors or because of unfriendli-
ness to the navy. He has intimate and
long standing relations with the navy
and he is an associate member of the
United States Naval Institute. He be-
lieves, however, that grave mistakes
have been, and are being, made in the
construction of our warships and that
attention ought to be called to them.
II is fair to assume Of course that
all the alleged defects which he men,
tons have been thoroughly discussed
by our naval constructors, and that
that in the construction Of UT war
ships the very best ideas have been
adopted. Therefore, before accepting
as correct the statements of Mr.. Reu-
terdahl it would be well to hear what
the men who are responsible for our
warships have to say in reply to him
One of the things to which he calls
particular attention is that the protec-
ting armor at the water line is placed
so low that it really affords little or
no protection at all. His statement is
that the greater part of this protec-
ton belt is below the water line, when
as a matter of fact, the whole of il, Oh
at least the greater part of it, ought
TO be above that line OF course a ship
can carry only a certain amount OF
armor and still remain buoyant. Sup
pose this belt were so placed thai
when the ship is loaded TO the full ca
pacity it would be practically all above
the waterline, what would HAPPIER
when the ship became lighter from the
consumption of her coal and other sup.
plies? Wouldn't a part of the ship, the
part most in need of protection, bt
without protection, unless the belt o.
armor was as wide as the space be-
tween the water line when the ship il
loaded and the same line when she il
light? And then the fact must b
taken into account that in some kind
of weather the ship rolls greatly, ant
in rolling the water line is below thu
armor belt, unless the armOr is places
pretty low.
Another criticism is that our war
ships have too low freeboard In con
nection with this criticism the danger
that are to be apprehended from tn
, shipment of heavy seas are pointed
out. These dangers are considerable
and are we'll worth careful consider
, alton. The bureaucracy is also at
tackled and its objectional feature
commented on These are a few o
the things which are criticised.
1t is probable that the article will re
ceive the attention its Importance de
serves. The people want to know tn
truth about the matter, and the Presi
dent isn't the sort of a man TO ALLOW
such an attack to pass unnoticed.
is in a measure a criticism on his ad
ministration because millions of dol
lars are annually being spent in tn
construction of new ships and il is o
, the very greatest Importance that tn
best ideas in naval construction shout
be utilized in them.-Savannah New: