The Washington times., 1910-03-02
Maine Senator Opposed to
Two Battleship Plan of
Administration.
HOUSE EXPECTED
TO APPROVE BILL
Pacific Coast Representatives Will
Be Most Earnest Advocates
of Meyers Policy.
By John SNURE.

a fine fight is in prospect in both Sen
ate and House over the battleship
building program.
That in the Senate is expected TO be
especially entertaining. Senator Hale
Will lead the fight against two battle
ships He viii support the one-battle-
ship proposition Senator Perkins OF
California win lead the movement for /
two battleships.
Senator Perkins is now the chairman :
o. the Senate Naval Committee. having 4
succeeded Senator Hale VINO went from !
the Craftsmanship of Naval Affairs 20 /
that OF Appropriations. lie is a big 1
ravy advocate. He shares the general /
FEELING Of the Pacific coast that the feet
should be large enough to put plenty
Of battleships in the Pacific TO guard
against any possible trouble with
Japan.
Senator Hale has never taken very
kindly TO the huge battleship idea. In
TINS instance, AZ rNmains TO be seen
what he can acct mplish. President
1alL. according 10 a statement of Score
ls1IY Meyer to the House Naval Affairs
SoHcnittee the other day, thinks il OF
eat importance that at least two
o4tlesnips should be built" Mr.. Meyer
aoded that the President was very de-
coed on that point, and felt the coun-
Hale is expected 10 urge that In view
OF the program of economy which is
BEING advocated. IL would be well 10
conserve the funds Of the Treasury by
building one battieship instead of TWO.
, D.. Brisk Fight Expected.
/ The House viii also witness a brisk
hgnt over The naval program. The ex-
pectauon, however Is that two Will be
provided for by the House.
The House Committee has determined
20 advocate Two 1900 ton vessels, but
{ TINS idea does not look good 20 Repre-
; sentative TaWney. chairman OF the APP
I prOprldtIOns Committee. as well as
number of other members. Some il
the House think the country Is travel
ing altogether too rapidly toward a
policy Of leading the world In the mat
Ter of battleShlp construction, and can
not overlook what Secretary Meyer 50 i'd
the other day about 81. rJl-tOn Warships
and about this country being the fore
most naval power.
Some interesting propositions are
coming up this year IN connection with
the naval building program. one OF
these relates . the use of 1tiDCh guns.
II is the int milton Of the Navy De-
p partment 10 equip fle new -i.n0"-tOn
WarShipS, II Congress provides for them.
with l4-lnCL guns The Finch gun,
which is the one heretofore considered
the chief weapon for the armament OF
the Dreadnoughts. IS not sltisfa Glory.
The objections 20 IL are the same as
those which have been discovered by
the army Owing 20 the terrific velocity
Of the proleCtIe. necessary TO make the
impact adequate 10 perform the work
expected of Il, the rihins or the gun
is soon worn.
The 14-inch gun shoots a far heavier
,proiectile, which can do the same
Hamage as the l2-incn at a lower We
locity- The result is that the 14-iucn
gun viii last much longer than the T.
tnch. II is likely that IL viii be the
rrr~ Of ~ 4uaa.-- -
Ually 20 replace such Pinch guns with
the 1i-inch wherever possible.
United States Not Leading.
While the House Naval Committee
proposes 70 tuld two 27.O0O-ton battle
ships. tbs county viii not lead the
world IN resp ot to- size of men-Of-va =
according to starements IN the House
Naval Atf2:ts Committee. Mr.. Roberts.
Tor instance, pointed out 10 the com
b nittee that Argentina is building Is 600
I ton bartleships.
Secretary Meyer is endeavoring TO get
start made toward building no a great
naval base at Guantanamo, Cuba. While
this has long been planned. little has
been done toward carrying 0It the idea.
OF course, Mr. Never looks on Pearl
HaT5Cr as the site of the country
greatest naval base.
The question whether the Panama
Canal Will really enable this country 20
get along with one fleet IS one about
which there is much doubt m is freely
said that then one fleet will be ade-
quate- as il can quickly so from oceans
10 ocean.
The fact is. there is a great deal Of
doubt whether the canal viii enable
the United States 20 20 20 the one-feet
basis. as the taking on battIeships, espe-
cially "a big fleet of them. through The
canal viii not De an easy task. In time
OF war. II would Do pe~ilous, as the
blowing mp Of a lock might strand a
preadnought i'm the center Of the canal
zone.