The Paducah evening sun., 1910-04-21
PACIFIC FLEET Is
TO Be IMPOSING
TWELVE BATTLEsHIPS BEFORE
END OF THIS YEAR.
f1eid OF Interest In World Politics
Where War Vessels Are
Needed.
SOME NEW PROBLEMS RAISED.

Washington, April 81. Omitted
Press Very soon the United States
VIII have enough battleships to main
tain on the Pacific, as well as on
the Atlantic. a feet of no mean pro-
portions. Since the voyage OF the
fleet around the world a number of
the older battleships have dropped
out and given place to new ones.
The Nebraska and Wisconsin were
added before the Journey was COM
pleted. Since then the New Hamp-
shire, Mississippi. and South Caro-
lima have taken their places in the
line. The Delaware and North Da-
kota have Just been commissioned.
The Florida is about to be launched
at the Navy Yard at New York and
Will be followed in a short time by
the Utah. When the Arkansas and
the wyoming. now building. are
completed, and the two battleships
which Will probably be provided for
by the present congress slide from
the ways for the finishing touches,
there will be but few ships OF the
original fleet which went around the
world left in the first line.
Before the end of the present year
II Will be possible to place in COM
mission a feet OF twelve battleships
on the Pacific without touching the
sixteen battleships OF the Atlantic
fleet. They are the Missouri, Ala
bama, Ohio, Kearsarge, Kentucky
Illinois, Main and the four battle
ships dating from the Spanish-Ameri-
con war--the Indiana, Massachu,
sets, Oregon and Iowa. Some OF
these ships went around the world
and are still first class fighting ships
Altogether they would cont,tute
q force Of such strength that no
feet, after crossing the Pacific, could
attack them with impunity or take
any chances with them.
What to do with these ships Is one
of the questions that is beginning "a
perplex the navy department. They
are far too valuable to be discarded
or allowed to deteriorate, although
none OF them Is a match for the huge
Dreadnoughts which the navies oi
the world are now, building. When
the newer ships go into commission
1t will hardly be an advantage q
keep them On the Atlantic coast
which Is becoming better defended
every day in the way OF ships. coast
artillery fortifcatlons and subma-
rines. The advantage OF establish.
ing a battleshlp feet in the Pacific
on the contrary. Is obvious, and will
within a very few years. become still
more obvious. as the trade OF the
Orient develops and the competition
for that trade becomes more keen
The question, therefore. OF sending
the ships to the Pacific Is one OF ser.
ious consideration with the depart.
ment.
The Pacific is just now the field
of political interest. The splendid
isolation OF the United States so far
as the Ttlantic Is concerned does not
apply to the Pacific. In the past
the Atlantic coast was not likely "a
attract any fleets but those of mer-
chantmen seeking the products
which the United States had to Of
fer. That condition no longer pre-
walls. and the United States now
overfiowing with capital and bulging
with the products of It's factories
must seek out new markets in the
awakening East. The complica-
tions that have arisen in the struggle
with other nations are already dis
concerting. Japan already has a
strangle hold in Manchuria TO the
injury OF American and other trade.
There are the PHILIPPINES to look af-
ter. There will be ships needed to
counterbalance the embryo navy
now being constructed by Australia.
For these general reasons, not to
mention others. Il is very probable
that the Pacific battleship feet is
only a few years at most from real
ization.
Many problems must be solved
however, before this Is accomplished.
To keep thirty-two battleships in
commission, not to speak OF cruisers.
submarines. torpedo boats and de-
stroyers and auxiliary craft. would
mean a big increase in the enlisted
force OF the navy, and II Is a ques-
ton whether the big middle western
states, where the oonsciouness of the
necessity OF sea power Is very in
active, would look with favor ou such
an increase. Besides the problem