The San Francisco call., 1908-03-01
CRITICS OF NAVY
UPHOLD POSITION
Officers Tell Senate Committee
Warships Submerge ArmOr
When Fully CoaIed
Cruisers Never Repeat Speeds
Shown on Trial Trips, Says
Commander Hill

WASHINGTON, Feb. 29-The senate
committee on naval affairs heard today
the statements of the naval officers
who have been quoted as criticising
the construction of the battleships and
upon whose authority il has been sug-
gested the charges made by Henry
Reuterdahl were based. Lieutenant
Commanders F X Hill and Carl t.
Vogelgesang and Captain Bradley A
Fdske We're Questioned concerning their
views on naval construction. and Rear
Admiral Capps asked questions and
commented upon their testimony as
they proceeded.
Commander Hill explained that he
thought the battleships should be con-
structed TO carry all the coal possible
The ships, he said. had their waterline
fixed by. estimating but two-fifths OF
their full capacity of coal, which al
lows the speed trial 10 show the great
est speed possible
4 think" he added. rarely have any
OF our ships in service shown the
speed they have developed on their
trial trips Foreign ships have the
same weakness in this respect but
foreign constructors are correcting
the error"
ALE ARMOR UNDER WATER
.'T want enough coal on board to
chase the enemy after fighting him.
Hill declared. land the Watering
should be fixed with a view of accom-
modating It.
aThe new ships of our navy" he
went on, IF provided with full load
Of coal, win have seven feet six inches
Of armor below the waterline and SIX
inches above it."
Rear Admiral Capps interrupted with
question which was followed by
statement by him contradictory to
much that Hill had said. Capps as
serted that the practice of English
japanese and American constructors
had been the same during the last
years regarding the waterline and the
coal carried. II there was any differ
ence. he said, the japanese provided
for less coal The tendency in the
American navy had been 70 provide as
large bunkers as possible.
Lieutenant Commander Nogelgesang
a member of the turret board thai
examined all the turret ships on th'
Atlantic coast six months ago. wa
called TO the stand. The result of th'
examination, he said, was TO show tha'
there had been some structural separa
tion between the tu-~ets and th'
handling rooms on batIeships, which
does not now exist and never has eX
listed in the service II was, he said
trY7peratf that there should be somt
Improvement The safety shutters
had proved to cumbersome and in
effective.
DISASTERS INEVITABLE
Replying TO a question, vogelgesane
said ne believed American turrsts 70 b'
inferior to those OF foreign ships HI
thought a disaster such as that on th'
Missouri. which cost 1s lives, could no
have happened on foreign SNIP. IN
bareback would have been avoided b.
the method OF construction of the tur
rets of those ships.
IF YOU can propose anything to rem
der turret absolutely safe, said Ad
rniral Cepps. you will earn the undyint
gratitude of the navy department
personally believe that it viii be impos
sibIe TO make any battleship immune
from danger during battle.
Capps added that the accident on th'
Missouri would not have occurred naC
not the ammunition been brought ou
in 2 way never contemplated by tn
regulations.
Capsain Bradley A Fiske testified
that he had had little experience tha
qualified him to comment on the ques
tion Of the proper water line and tur
rets
yet you might be put in command
+ Of a ship" said Senator Tillman.
Later Tillman remarked that the wit
ness had never been in battle, t
which Captain Fiske replied that h
I had overlooked the battle of Manila
MANILA BATTLE MURDER
.oh, that was murder" said Till
man.
1T did not look that way before-i
I began" suggested the witness.
Reading from an article written b,
Captain Fiske saying that no improve
ment in the navy ever had been orig
I mated bv a naval officer. Tillman aske'
I 81 he held 10 the statement
Fisxe deliberated for long time.
Il do not know OF any instance II
which they have done so, he finally re
/ piled
senator Perkins said Captain Fiske'
paper reminded him OF the Bible
was a very fire literary production. bu
nothing could be proved by it. He add
ed that as congress appropriates 500,
/ 600 annually for experimental tests b.
was surprised they had not resulted ii
soma inventive idea
But" insisted Senator Tillman, i
we find outside talent and cannot recog
nize Il. what can be expected?'
Admiral Capps remarked that ther'
seemed to be a woeful lack of knowl
edge among officers of the navy con
-o-of,.r What had been done to deyeloI