The Washington herald., 1909-04-18

/ DtdTAs adtEoAl mas euohl LlAaL Elrl-A IL
/ ity can be sent without wires. and all that
remains 70 be done before the electric
battle ship can become A fact IS 20 dis
cover how 20 direct the current so that Il
Will 90 only one way and not kin those
aboard the ship that sends IL. I believe
this viii some time be done"
Mr.. Nixon was asked # he believed the
British admiralty realized when IL Ce-
termined 90 build the first DreadnO -ghL
that IL was taking a step thar woC, en-
der the rest Of its navy obsolete
DreadnOuEhSs Promise Vi--ory.
NO. I don't" he replied. I believe
the admiralty was simply swept OF its
feet by what appeared 10 be the brillaney
or the conception OF this enormous ship.
But when the Dreadnought was built a
new measuring stick was introduced by
which all the navies IN the world must &c
measured The creation OF the ship
amounted TO a revolution. IN a sense On
ships already in existence it had the same
effect that the battle between the Mont
tor and ;he Nerrimac had on wooden
ships. Before the Dreadn0ught's time
Great Britain's tWo-pCWer standard SEEM
eG secure. Now she Is alarmed for fear
she cannot lOng maintain a One-pOwer
standard as against Germany. She still
has her old ships. and they are not with
out value. but they cannot win a war for
her. The nation that has the most ships
Of the Dreadnought class is the one that
VIII be victorious in future wars"
England has one snip o. this class ready
for business. Germany al the present mo-
nent has none. but she VIII complete two
while England VIII complete three the
BellerOphon. the Temeraire. and the Su-
perb. Next year Germany viii comPlete
FIVE. the Baden. the Wurttemburg. the
Reowulf. the Oldenburg. and the Frithjof.
England viii complete next year only
three. the COIlingwo0d. the s.. Vincent
and the Vanguard. Two years hence
Great Britain Will have fourteen Dread
noughts. provided she builds only six this
year. which Is ire present programme,
though il is expected that before the mid
die OF the coming summer the number 20
be started this year viii be increased 20
eight. Germany. Or the other hand IN
1871. will have only ten Dreadnoughts, pro
vided she has none under way that Eng
land does not know about. and provided
she does not hasten the construction OF
those that are scheduled 20 he begun this
year and next. which she can easily 90
The Germans themselves say they have
not nearly reached the capacity or their
shipyards-
$4,000. 600 ships Of War.
But here are the striking facts in this
amazing situation. Almost within a
decade the cost OF battle ships has
Jumped from S2.oo3.o00 or g 100000 70 SIC
OoQo00 and the Sl5.o00ooo battle ship
seems 10 be not far away. The obsolet-
ization OF all older craft by the building
Of the first Dreadnought gave Germany
an opportunity which she seems 20 be
trying 20 grasp, 20 wrest from England
her naval supremacy and take with 4
her foreign trade This. In turn. has led
20 a most remarkable contest between the
two nations IN the matching OF Dread
noughts which. IL continued even for
few years. would inevitably end IN the
national bankruptcy Of one or both OF
the powers and the further impoverish-
ment OF great numbers OF their people.
England has on her hands such en- un-
employed problem and such a chronic
poverty problem as she has never be-
fore been called upon 20 deal with. yet
she has already decided 10 spend So
0oe 0t9 on DreadnOughts alone this year.
and II she begins eight ships Instead of
SIX. this figure viii be increased 10 So
o0o0oo. Her bin for new construction
for the fiscal year that will end on June
81 next was regarded as heavy when the
appropriation for IL was made bat Il
was only S26. S.sZ5- Add 70 this S170. .000 co
for the navy's maintenance. SIS. .90o. .o09 for
the Upkeep OF the army. and the cost this
year OF keeping England prepared for
war IS found 10 be S345. SIS 925
Germany during the present fiscal year.
expects 20 spend 81, 900 600 for new naval
cousti uction. SS3. 009 for maintenance Of
the navy. and SI25,Coo.oo0 Cor her army
S255. 00o 600 In all
II ever there was a situation that was
Intended quickly 10 create either pros
tration or an explosion. this would seem
10 be such a situation. With battle ships
ar Slo,eoa.000 apiece. and neither nation
willing 10 be outdOne by the other. the
result, whatever il may be. cannot be
long delayed.