The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-11
TRIAL SPEED TESTS
COMMANDER KEY SAYS THEY ARE
 FAKES.
Defects fin the Construction of Our Battleships Was Brought Out Before the Senate Com
 nnittee Yesterday.

mafttee Yesterday.
 wasb,nrton. March 1o.-That there are serious defects in the construction of American. battleships was charged today by Captain c. McR- Winslow. as- sistant chief of the bureau of naviga- tion of the Navy Department, and Com mander A. l.. Key, former naval aide to President Roosevelt.
 The former said that the ships of Admiral Evaus's fleet were all over draft when they left Hampton Roads. He defended Admiral Rojestvensky for taking the Russian ships into battle with full bunkers 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.
 the form of his own testimony and in- cured the displeasure of the Commit tee on that account. He criticized the armor belt and the gun decks as be- ing too low and the ammunition hoists unsafe. He attempted to dispute the testimony of other officers, especially Chief Constructor Capps. but was not permitted to do so. Finally, the Com rnittee held an executive session at which 1t was decided that Key should be heard tomorrow but that his criti- cism should be confined to ships and not directed against officers.
 Captain Winslow, who was the first witness in defending the Russian Ad- miral. used the fate of the Russian fleet as an illustration of the danger of going into action with the armor belt too far under water. At the same time. he said, the ships could carry at least two-thirds their capacity of coal and full ammunition and stores. He said that two-thirds supply of all stores would make all American bat tleships too low and therefore the ar- mor belt should be raised.
 There was no need. said Captain Winslow, for more than four feet of armor below the water line.
 The witness was asked to compare certain types of American ships with the contemporary class of British ship He took the Connecticut and the Lord Nelson and in gunnery said the British ship has made better records for rapid shooting with her battery of nine and two-tenths guns than has been made with the Connecticut's eight guns.
 "I would say the Lord Nelson is the more powerful ship" said the captain. He added that the Michigan and the South Carolina were a great improve ment over the Lord Nelson and possi- ply superior to anything in the British navy.
 "on what ships now under command of Admiral Evans Is the armor belt misplacedT' asked MT. Burrows.
 "All of them"
 Misplaced because it Is too Iow?"
 Because 1t is too low"
 Commander A. L. Key, formerly naval aide to the President, was the next witness. He had an experience similar to that of Commander Sims, the present naval aide, in that he was not permit tad fn f0Ilnrv he hnr1ina to the form of presenting his views He began by stating that he had a duty to perform not entirely agreeable as his testimony would not be approved at the Navy Department. He said he ex- pected to show by comparison that there were defects in American ships as to the location of the armor belt, the height of freeboard. and the char acter of ammunition hoists. and that he would be compelled to point out in- accuracies in the testimony of Rear Admiral Capps. chief constructor, and some other officers who have been be- fore the committee.
 Chairman Hale cautioned the witness to follow the lines that had been laid down by the committee. Commander Key took up the subject of armor belts He said that the belts should not be placed around a fictitious water line, but shold be located with regard to the actual line when vessel is equipped for action He criticized the speed tests ot battleshipS and declared, that the vessels run so light that the test is of no value in ascertaining the act ual speed of a vessel when carrying full armament. crew and stores.
 why should contractors he permit ted to bamboozle the country with these fictitious speed tests?" asked MT. TiIlman.
 "They should not. That is just what I have been trying to show" replied Commander Key. He then presented c German criticism to the effect that the American and English tests are of no value, while the German tests are made in accordance with war condi- tions. 70
 Commander Key will continue his testimony tomorrow.