Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-06-30
new WARSHIPS
TO Be BIGGEST
They VIII Carry ii.inch Guns and
WIN De Able to Keep the Sea u
Long Time.

pected will be authorized at the pre- g
ent session of Congress will have
displacement of $1,000 tons and carry
ten liinch guns, taking the lead Of
all the dreadnoughts of the world,
is presaged by tentative designs al
ready being considered by the naval
= general board.
The provisional plans were COM
pleted several weeks ago, and are
now In the hands of the general
board, headed by Admiral Dewey for
the determination of military features.
The usual instructions that all the
details of the plans shall be kept re-
cret have been issued. but II was as
certained yesterday that the general
board already had determined that
the new ships will have much larg-
er displacement than the Arkansas
and the Wyomlg. which are of &c.
900 tons.
This increased displacement will be
utilized in adding to the armament
and 80 increasing the hitting power
OF the ships. There will be at least
ten li-inch guns. instead of twelv,
12-inch guns, which is the armament
OF the battleships authorized last
year.
Captain F. F. Fletcher, one OF the
members of the General Naval Board,
admitted that the tentative plans for
the two big battlcships are being con-
sidered by the board. although they
have not come under his own obser-
walton.
Greatest In the World.
While this particular matter does
not come under my observation" he
proposed ships displacement will
be greater than the Arkansas
and the Wyoming. have
heard that the plans suggest an In
crease of 1000 tons, but | do not be-
lieye the size has been determined
definitely, except 80 far as II Is GER
tain that the new ships will be larger
than the two directly preceding. The
suggested by the plans.
Congress did not specify the size
OF the battleships, merely fixing the
appropriation. II is, of course, for
the Navy Department to obtain the
best battleships possible with that
appropriation. | guess the new ones
will be the greatest in the entire
world"
II is asserted that ten l4-inch guns
are regarded as better than twelve
l2-inch guns, but IT is also recogniz-
ed that advantage gained one way is
sometimes lost another way. II would
be possible to have more r4-inch
guns, but II is altogether a matter OF
weight. Anything added In one fea-
ture must be Offset by a reduction
In weight on another feature.
Embracing the best features in con-
struction and in military way. the
proposed ships, in addition to having
the most destructive batteries In the
world. will be able to keep the sea
longer than any ships In existence.
AT present the battleship Florida Is
the most prominent member of the
dreadnought family. The number of
ships either completed or under con-
struction In the United States, Great
Britain, Germany, Japan and France
is placed by Commander II. Y. Bryan,
in the new International Year Book.
al 40: "Of these the United States
has eight In the Michigan. South Car
olina, Delaware and North Dakota,
completed; the Florida and Utah,
about half completed. and the wyo-
ming and Arkansas. recently begun.
The displacement Of the last two,
10000 tons, is exceeded In the entire
dreadnought class by the two English
battleship cruisers, Lion and Thund-
erer, of $3.50 tons. and 700 feet In
length. OF which the first was laid
down last November.
England Has Eighteen.
Great Britain's dreadnoughts num-
Der eighteen. without taking account
OF four ships ordered or just begun.
Germany has thirteen completed or
buildmg; Japan has four. two com
pleted apd two building, France has
10 dreadnoughts In commission, but is
building fleet OF six OF 1888 tons. TO
be completed in 1911.
Fastest among battieshlps are our
own North Dakota. with 2225 knots,
aud the British Vanguard. with ga
knots. but both are far behind the six
British dreadnought cruisers, with a
speed ranging between ~ and 2s
knots.
Comparison between our own Flor
ida, which was launched recently,