Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-02-11
OUR NEW
BATTLESH|PS

The new bait eship Delaware.
launched at Newport News on SAT-
ulday in the presence OF eight thou
Sand people, 10 the greatest fight ng
machine afloat or under construction
with the exception or her three sis
ter ships which are now being push
ed to completion.
When the North Dakota, Florida
and Utah are finished the United
States navy W II have a new squad
ron far k,lrpass ng in size and ar;na-
ment any equai number OF vessels
IN any OF the nav'es OF the world.
The Delaware has tonnage of
twenty thousand, Which Is more than
two thousand tons in excess of the
English "Dreadnaught." which has
become proverb of lighting strength
She has speed OF twentyone knots
and her coal Bunkers will hold
enough coal to carry her twenty
eight days, steam nc at the rate of
ten knots an hour.
The arrangement of her main bat
terry of guns is such as to permit
broad-ide fire OF twenty-five per
cent greater than that OF any battle
ship now afloat.
And yet this is only the begin
ming OF our new and greater fleet,
which is a subject in which we are
ali particularly interested. at this
time.
This country Is now generally un-
derstood to be committed TO a pro-
gram OF two new battleshlps every
year, which Will mean an increase
In the effective fighting force OF the
navy of two battleships every five
years, a. It is est mated that four
battleships wear out every five years,
where only one new one IS built
each year.
Under this program it will not be
bng before we Will havs annihilated
whatever difference may now exist
betweel this country and England.
The latter country has long been
definitely committed to what IS
known as the two-power standard !;
that is to say, she purpoEes to main
tain fleet slightly more efficient
than those OF any two other coun-
tries in the world. II we keep up
the pre- ent ratio, however, she will
be compelled to abandon this stand
ard SO far as the United States is
concerned, and content herself with
twice the efficiency of any other
two countries in naval ctrength.
The appropriation for the ordIna-
rymaintelance and drill of the navy
according to this years schedule, Is
approximately one hundred and
twenty-five million dollars, while
thirty-e ght million seven hundred
and nineteen thousand dollars will
be spent in adding bodily to the
feet
The total program for the year
VIII be seventeen ships. Two OF
these will be twenty-five thousand
ton yes els, which in SIZE and ar.
mament will far surpass anytime
projected elsewhere. The rest OF
tthe program f. for FIVE GOLFERS and
ten boats Of the torpedo class--fiye
destroyers, four submar mes, and
one subsurface torpedo boat.
1t Will be noted that there are No
cruisers, as the present policy Of the
navy Is TO concentrate it's force In
the big ships driven by high power
engines with large steaming ra-
due.
How far the American navy has
advanced may be gathered from tno
fact that ten years ago the largest
ship we could boast was the Ala.
bama type. comparatively Insignia
cant ironc'ad OF eleven thousand
ions Five years later the type OF
the Ohio was the maximum OF
strength with about twelve thous.
aud five hundred tons.
Today the largest ship in the navy
Is Of the Connecticut type. which
has sixteen thousand tons displace.
ment and an armament of four
twelye-inch guns.
But the two new shipy which have
been voted at this session of c n.
gress will push forward the dis
placement by four thousand tons
and give the heaviest and best ar.
ranged armament yet devised. The
thickness OF the armor Will BIZ in
creased In proportion to the increas.
ed tonnage and the steaming radius
viii be iikew SO increased.
Congress probably realizes that
the best sentiment and the souades,
judgment OF the country are behind
II IN rs present naval policy. Talk
OF disarmament and tho millennium
Is all very well, but no progress r.
made in that direct on, and If tn,
other powers decline to "hght win
pop-guns" we must prepare our.