The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1909-05-22
Traced to Its Source, Curl
ousy Enough, the Idea
Was the Result of Santi-
ago and Not, as Supposed,
of the Naval Fights in the
Russo Japanese War.

worker Of Commander Sims, drew the
plans of the ~. 8. s. Feasible" and
the ~. s. s. Possible" the two types
OF all-big-gun battleships which now
have their prototypes in the South
Carolina and Michigan in one class,
the Delaware and North Dakota in the
other.
But that was away back In 1903. A
year or so after these plans had been
pigeonholed In the navy department
the Japanese Russian war broke out
AS result Of that Japan's ally, Great
Britain, hurriedly began the construc-
ton Of the Dreadnought. the first OF
the all-big-gun ships to take the water,
and closely following the launching of
that vessel the Japanese Aki went
overheard. Other nations Immediately
comprehended what the building of
these two vessels meant. Germany
paused only long enough to give one
regretful look at the battleships she
was then building, and, making
quick revision of her naval plans, has
now committed herself to a program
by which she is to construct four
Dreadnoughts each year up to and in
, GLIDING 1911. Great Britain has al
ready laid the keels for ten of these
great vessels, having launched six
| during the course of the last year;
France has laid the keels of six and
has authorized the building of six
others. Brazil set about the building
Of three, Italy made contracts for
two, and Russia's program contem-
plates four of these new architects of
ruin. Had Poundstone's suggestions
been adopted when they were first
submitted" asserts one naval au-
thority, "the designs of the four Con-
necticuts. which were not yet laid
down, could have been altered and
small Dreadnoughts like the present
South Carolina and Michigan have
been built. The money appropriated
for the Idaho and Mississippi, obsolete
before launched, could have been
turned into one real ship. Lieut..
Poundstone's plans for his new type
never came before congress. In fact,
there are few who know that had our
authorities been awake we would in
all probability have had Dreadnoughts
afloat before any other nation"
Fifty Vessels In Four Years.
Within the short space of four years
more than half hundred vessels of
this new type have been built or au-
thorized The introduction of the type
has set new standard of rivalry, and
England. Germany and Japan seem to
be setting the pace. In the old type
of battleships England possessed an
enormous lead. Following her frankly
announced postulate that, whatever
the cost, she meant to maintain a
navy that would be equal to the navy
of any other two powers. she had
found no great difficulty In living up
to that somewhat rough and ready
standard. But according to an un-
usually well-informed London CORE
spondent, Sidney Brooks). who ap-
pears to have been making a special
study of the subject, the advent of the
Dreadnought has brought to Great
Britain crisis of unparalleled COM
plexity and peril. The type has not
| only made obsolete all battleships
built in previous era, but has COM
mitted all sea powers which intend to
maintain maritime supremacy, or even
relative strength. to an unprecedented
! expense In newer construction.
Cost to Great Britain.
1t is upon Great Britain, as this in
vestigator recently pointed out, that
this expense falls with greatest
weight. Hers is the greater feet that
the new type makes inefficient and
hers the greater burden in the neces-
sity of constructing new armament
to meet new conditions.
The naval act Of May, 1908, which
authorized the construction of two bat
tleships similar In all essential char
acteristics" to the two older ones,
brings our list of building and project
ed up to the formidable list of four.
Upon these two later vessels are to
be bestowed the names OF Florida and
Utah. No limitation Is placed upon
the displacement, but 1t is understood
that 1t will be approximately 10000
tons, although the two new ships may
each be about seven feet longer than
the Delaware.
This increase in length will be
brought about II the decision Is
reached for the installation of tur-
bines. One reason why Parsons tur-
bines could not be installed In the
Delaware Is the fact that they would
occupy more space than was available
in that ships hull, unless changes
were made In the design. Curtis tur-
bines were ordered for the North Da-
kota and engines Of the reciprocating
! type for the Delaware. No decision is
] understood to have been reached yet
respecting the type Of engines
whether turbine or reciprocating-
that are to be installed in the Utah
and Florida.
II IL not unlikely. says the Navy. a
well-informed service journal. that the
new battleships will also be provided
| with an entirely new arrangement Of
military mast, somewhat similar to