The Washington herald., 1909-04-18

Seven years ago the British battle ship
Royal Sovereign was completed. II was
regarded, even oy Great Britain. which
had always led in the building Of pow
erful war craft. as a tremendous ship,
says Allan L. Benson in the PhiladeI-
phia Public Ledger. Il carried four l3-
inch guns and thirty-eIght smaller ones.
while 7l2 men were required 10 do the
work aboard And the Royal Sovereign
cost $4.fS5,ssO. Our fine ship. the Mis-
souri,, which was completed the same
year. cost only $2.SS5.oo0
Seven years ago no Briton could look
far enough ahead 20 see the time when
his country could not be the mistress OF
the seas Her supremacy was unques-
toned
Proceeding on the two-pOwer plan. she
had a comfortable margin over the fleets
OF any pair OF nations that might take
up arms against her. The Briton. indeed,
was = cOmplaisant indivdiual-and he
seemed TO nave reason 10 be.
Three years ago TIE Dreadnought was
completed. And with what wild British
hurrahs. Seventeen thousand and nine
hundred tons OF flghting STEEL Twenty
three thousand horsepower 10 drive the
steel along, Ter. Pinch guns and ninety
smaller ones, Eight hundred ana sixty
five men constituted her officers aid
crew. And she cost Se.065,500i Who else
beside England could talk about being
mistress OF the seas with the Dread
nought Ia the water?
EnEIand's Pride FIattered.
Germany could. but she did not-she
only laid the keel OF the Nassau. and
she laid il without sputter or fireworks.
And when the British heard that the
Nassau was to be built the news fat
tered their national pride. Fo- was not
this German ship TO be another Dread
nought? She was 10 be $50 tons lighter,
IL was true. but on the other hand. her
engines were to have L0O0 more horse
power than those OF England's greatest
war craft. Indeed. il was a fine spectacle
for a proud Briusher 10 behold-the
world looking 20 him for instruction with
regard 90 battle ship building. For. let IL
be recalled. about the same time we
laid the keel of .he North Dakota.
which is 70 be more powerful than either
the Dreadnought or the Nassau. and other
tremendous ships.
Later IN rne same year-we are still
talking OF ls97-Germany further compli-
mented England By laying the keels OF
i've terrific battle ships. each Of which
was 20 be more powerful than her own
Nassau. each of which was 20 have = .oe0
horsepower more driving force than tire
Dreadnought. and each OF w1,ch was q
have a displacement OF 1900 tons. as
against the Dresdnought's 1880 Here
indeed was a remarkable tribute 10 the
designing and constructive ability OF the
British admiralty. II imitation be fat
terry al its best the English sea lords
had been smothered with Obsequious
praise.
Still the English sea lords were not
happy. or 10 speak with more precision.
they were beginning % become unhappy.
Il seemed. no doubt. as II the Germans
were going a little too far in their prac-
teal recognition OF Briiains superior
battle ship building ability. Six colossal
fighters begun in a single year are not
pleasing sight in the yards OF neigh
Dor. even when they are but 0ffshOots Of
the genius Of ones self And during the
memorable year OF 1907 Great Britain.
therefore, recognized what had come 10
be whispered about as the German
81. Vincent. the Temeraire. and the Su-
perb. the first two OF which were 20 be
OF % tons greater displacement than tnA
largest German ship that was under
way
British Admiralty COmpIaiSant.
Again confidence was restored IN the
British admiralty-that is 10 say. the
admiraity's confidence was restored in
its ability TO maintain the two-power
standard. Indeed. the admiralty's conf-
dence In Itself was so great that when
the question was asked IN Parliament
whether the two-power standard included
the United States as one Of the possible
foes. an Affirmative answer was given.
And the repOseful condition OF the ad-
miralty was further increased by the fact
that during the next year-l91S-Ge Germany
begun no new first-claSs battle ships while
Great Britain laid the keel OF the Col
lingwood. which was 10 be an improved
Dreadnought or 1880 tons displacement.
But II the British admiralty ever dozed
into a dream, the English people were