The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-11
Captain WinB|OW Makes Radi- cal Charges Against War;
 ship Construction
,RMOR BtLT IS TOO LOW { ON VESSELS OF FLEET
Commander Key Makes Equal Criti- cism Against the Navy and Defends Russian Admiral For His Pro-
 cedure In Japanese War.

Washington, March 10.-That there are serious defects in the construction of American battleships was charged today by Capt. c. MGR Winsow, assistant chief of the bureau of navigation of the navy department and Commander A. L. Key, former naval aide to President Roosevelt. The former officer said the ships under Admiral Evans were all over draft when they left Hampton roads He defended Admiral Rojestvensky for talk ing the Russian ships into battle with the Japanese with full bunlSers of coal, saying that the Russian commander could not have done otherwise for he did not know how far he would be compelled to steam.
 Commander Key attempted to direct the form of his own testimony and incurred the displeasure of the committee on that account. He criticised the armor belt and the gun decks as being too low and the ammunition hosts unsafe. He at tempted to dispute the testimony of oth- CT officers, especially Chief Constructor Caps, but was not permitted to do so. Finally the committee held an executive session at which it was decided that Key should be heard tomorrow, but that his criticism should be confined to ships and not directed against officers. Captain Winslow, who was the first wit ness, in defending the Russian admiral, used the fate of the Russian fleet as an 1 illustration of the danger of going into action with the armor belt too far under water. At the same time he said that the ships could carry at least two-thirds their capacity of coal and full ammuni- ton and stores He said that two-thirds supply of all stores would make all Amer ican battleships too low and, therefore, the armor belts should be raised.
 There was no need, said Captain Wins low, for more than four feet of armor below the line.
 Comparison of Ships.
 The witness was asked to compare cer- tain types of American ships with the contemporary class of British ships. He took the Connecticut and the Lord Nell son and in gunnery said the British ship has made better records for rapid shooting with her battery of nine and two-tenths guns than had been made with the Connecticut eght-inch guns He thought this achievement was due prob ably to the hoists
 Theoretically you would feel at dis advanta ge Ayou were compelled to take the Come cut into action as against the Lord \ sison?' asked MT. Tellman.
 T would say the Lord Nelson is the more powerful ship" said the captain. He added that the Michigan and the South Dakota were a great improvement over the Lord Nelson and possibly superior to anything in the British navy.
 "On what ships now under command of Admiral Evans is the armor belt mis- placed?" asked MT. Burrows:
 "All of them.'
 Misplaced because it is too low?"
 Because 1t is too low"
 Battle Conditions.
 Continuing, Captain Winslow said that the armor belt extended five feet below water on all the ships in Admiral Evans fleet when it left Hampton Roads, and most of them showed less than foot of hrmor above the water line. He said that with two-thirds supply of coal and two thirds of all other stores on board the hrmor belt of all the American battle ships would be too far below the water inc. "This would be the condition in which the ships would go into battle" he eaid.
 In reply to questions by MT. Tillman, the witness said he never had written the de- partment concerning the defects he had tound in battleship construction, but that he knew the faults had been pointed out bp other officers. As to ammunition hoists Captain Winslow said that it was not a uestion of direct hci>'s as against two- tage hoists, but entirely a question of afety
 well, have we got it? asked MT. 1ili- man.
 The witness replied. that we had net lad safety in the past, but that he was pot familiar with the new 1rccI hoist with automatic shutters.
 WinsIow's Experience.
 Captain Winslow gave h4s experience as
 member of the board which inquired nto the causes of the explosion of the Massachusetts in 1903. In that case if vas found that the damage was due to he open turret and the ineffectiveness of he direct hoist.
 ..Naval offocers had predicted that just uch accidents would occur and the fault hould have been corrected then," said Captain Winslow.
 "What officer had pointed out the dan er?" asked MT. Tillman.
 .In 1902 I received a personal letter rom Commander Sims criticisng the [earsarge and the Kentucky, and saying hat there was great danger in the tur- ets," replied Captain Winslow.
 He replied that the information had cen given to the department He said did not know where to fix the respon- bility for the failure to correct the ault, unless it was in the fact that there las constant change in the department trough frequently shifting civilian secre- lries.
 nd wI Commander Key Called.
 ampkr A. L. Kew, formerly navil aide
 tuarl President, was the next witness. IichAd an experience similar to that -s hmander Sims in that he was not jd tted to follow his own inclination as
 fform of presenting his views He
 Hr4 by stating that he had duty to tn not entirely agreeable, as his
 NIeiny would not be approved at the bom. apartment He said he expected to
 sleph comparison that there were de-
 athe American ships as to the location
 Xe armor belt, the height of freq
 oud xho obo rarfer of ammunition