The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-01
WARSHIPS ARE CRITICISED
 - Session of Committee on Naval Affairs. OFFICERS AS WITNESSES Lieutenant Hill Declares Location
 of Armor Belt Fad. voseIsans Comments on Arrangement of Turrets whiIe It Is Agreed
 There is Little Inventive
 Genius in Navy.

Washington, Feb. 29.--The Senate committee on Naval Affairs today heard the statements of the naval ofii- cers who have been quoted as criticiz- ing the construction of battieships and upon whose authority 1t has been sug- gested ffe charges made by Mir. Reut- erhahi were based. Lieutenant Com manders F. K Hill. Carl T. vogeIsang and Captain Bradley A Fiske were questioned concerning their views on the naval construction and Rear Ad- miral Capps asked questions and conn mented upon their testimony as they proceeded.
 EIeutenant Commander Frank K. Hill of the navy was the first wit- ness called. He is one of the offfcers mentioned by Admiral Converse as in- ciined to criticize some of the features of our naval construction and h0 was summoned to explain his reasons for his attitude. It developed that his criticisms had been directed solely at the location sof the armor belt. and he insisted on eenfning his testimony to that point.
 '.our ships he said. "are very good ships. but I believe there are certain specific errors which should be reme- died and the location of the water line arulor belt of our battleships is. ac- cordlng to my opinion, one of these defects"
 criticsses Aruaor Belt.
 Mir. Hill said that last October the Secretary of the Navy decided to ap- point board to investigate these mat ters but later decided not to do so. At that time he prepared . report and had letters bearing on the controversy to submit to the board. He had sub k4 ka. showing his criticism and proposed remedy for the detects.
 T am not the orieinator of this crit. aeism," said Mr. Hill. sThie subject had been discussed Tor long tirne and criticisHas have been made by oflicbre aboard ship and special hoafds hav6 been ordered esi board ships NJ FeapeRl
 srh6ra nfa TFN H6lionS in rewnrd to the arm0r belt Ode is the thick ness and the other is the location. I believe 1lle thickness is plenty ff not moro than it should be. but the location la not correct according to my view. You want to set ship Into action at or near particular water line and have that water line protected You must have sufficient width of armor above and below so as to protect that particular part.
 Mir. Hill. continuing, explained that he thought the battieships sfiould be constructed to, carry ali the coal poa- sibia. The ships. he said. have their water line fixed by estimating but twn- fifths of their full capacity of coal. which allows the speed trial to show. sha greatest speed possible.
 The new ships of our navy. fl pro- uded with a full load of coal. will have seven feet and six inches below the water line and six inches above it.
 Senator Ttliman suggested that the contractors have the water line estab- iished so that they can get the best speed out of the battleships and get the best of the bargain.
 Rear Admiral Capps interrupted with e question which was followed by e abatement by him contradictory to much that 1Ir. dill had said. He de-. clared that the practice of English. Japanese and American constructors is the same, certainly for the past ten years regarding the water line and difference. he said. the Japanese pro- vided for less coal.
 Mir. Hill said he thought the water line armor belt of the new battIeshipS should be raised. ten inches.
 VOgelsang DOesn't Like TuRrets.
 Lieutenant Commander Carl T. vogel- sang, a member of the turret board that eXdulluSu alt the IuITSt Shipb on the Atlantic coast six months ago was called to the stand. The result of the explanation, he said. was to show that there should be some structural separation between the turrets probes and the handling rooms Oh battIeships which does not now exist and never has existed in the service. It is, he said, imperative that there should be some Improvement
 Replying to a question by Senators Gallinger, he said he believed American turrets to be inferior to those of for eign ships.
 Admiral capps questioned the wit ness at some length and asked wheth- CT he had ever seen any protest against the direct type of hoist during the Spanish American war. and the wit ness could recall no such protest.
 Senator Hale said he thought he un- derstood the trouble that caused the turret disasters.
 Did you ever have these disasters before the mania arose for rapid tar get practice?" he asked.
 Lieutenant Comander Vogelsang re- piled that rapid fire practice was nec- sssary 10 train the men for battle. The troubles of the fiare-back had