The Washington herald., 1908-02-17
PRAISES SHIP.
Continued from Page One.

Continued from Page One.
the American navy compare favorably.
As compared with the British and Japa-
nese war vessels which have given good
results under service conditions. the
American vessels have in the main more
freebOard
The Indiana and Kentucky classes.
which Admiral Converse says should
properly be termed coast line battle ships,
are too low forward for efficient fighting
at sea in fairly heavy weather The
other battle ships could give a good ac-
count Of themselves in a fight al sea in
any weather in which il is at all likely
tor fleets 10 engage
COntradicts CRITICS. Statements.
Admiral Converse says ReuterdahTs
statement that ali modern battle ships
in foreign navies have forward decks
from fabout twenty-five 10 tWenty-eight
feet above the water is far from truth.
The report gives a list showing the
height OF the freebcard Of the various
representative battle ships OF foreign
navies. showing that the British war yes
sci Dreadnought is practically the only
modern battle ship with that height OF
forward deck, and that practically all the
foreign battle ships have "A freeboard Of
less than twenty-five feet
On the whole. Admiral Converse con-
tends, II would hardly be claimed that
the freeboard Of the ships Of the Ameri-
can navy IS so woefully short Of what
il should be, or is below the stcndard
set by foreign services.
The report cites that the Russian bat
tie ships Borodino. Kniaz. Suvaroff
Oslybia. and Alexander III. al with high
freeboards and high gun positions. cap
sized or We're otherwise sunk in the bat
tie OF the Sea Of Japan. and this hap
pened only after a comparatively short
fight.
Regarding Gun Positions.
AS far as the height Of the gun po-
sitions) on American war vessels is con-
cerned. the report continues. except for
the Indiana and Kentucky classes. the
American vessels carry their forward
turre. guns generally as high. or even
higher. above the water than similar
ships Of the British or the japanese
navies- In the heights above water OF
guns firing on the broadside the United
States navy is noticeably in the lead.
The guns on French naval vessels how
ever. are higher than on the American OF
japanese vessels. This policy OF adopt
ing high gun positions. the report says.
is the result OF a practice which the
French navy has carried out for years.
but which has not been adopted by the
navies OF other nations
One OF the lessons deduced from the
! RussO-Japanese war. the report continues.
was that the three and six-pounder guns
| heretofore regarded as a part OF a battle
ships defense against torpedo boat at
/ tack. were insufficient in power effective
! ly 10 stop a modern torpedo boat under
ordinary circumstances. The hye-inch gun
( is now considered by naval experts the
/ smallest caliber effective for this work
and has been adopted by the American
navy.
All the present American battle ships
now carry Intermediate batteries Of hve-
! inch or larger CaiibCr- Vessels Stiu nav
! ing three or giX-poUnders on board are
1 having them replaced by guns of larger
/ caliber as fast as the guns can be pro-
vided.
IN the meanwhile. the American battle
/ ships ara protected from attack by tor
/ pedo boats by intermediate batteries ct
/ Quick-iring guns. regarded as amply able
/ TO meet the necessities. and more numer-
Gus than are carried by battle ships OF
other navies.
/ As 70 the distribution Of the armor
/ belt the report says q comparison of the
armor belt with that OF foreign vessels
4 of similar design shows that IN general
I the armOr belt on American way ships is
higher above water. and the armor
/ OF American ships is somewhat thicker
and fully as well distributed. both above
as well as below the water line
The object Of the hui armOr. the re-
port says, is 10 protect the vitals OF
the ship and to preserve the buoyancy
and stability Of the vessel itself. The
armor belt, the report says, varies IN
width, and In the United States navy
has been from seven and a half 10 nine
and a quarter feet in width
The lower edge Of the belt has been
approximately four feet below the de-
signed normal water line in the earlier
vessels and FIVE feet on the more recent.
/ The upper edge is from two and a half
| feet TO four and a quarter feet above
that line
The upper edge. however has been
somewhat lowered by the fact that the
designed normal water line is sometimes
| lower than the actual water line-this de-
crease amounting in some instances TO
/ FIVE or six inches. This fact. however.
Admiral Converse contends, does not ma
terialIy affect the defensive qualities Of
the vessel.