Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1910-12-13
NAVY BLUE BOOK OUT
The United States Next To
Great Britain In Ships
AflOat 1t Says
GERMANY AHEAD IN BUILDING
Pitman PuIsifer The Compiler Discusses
Increasing Sire OF Vessels And The
Best Type

D(ct AlNN
The eighth annual edition Of the
official Blue Book Of the Navy, pub
Iished under authority Of Congress
and prepared by Pitman Pulsifer.
private secretary TO Senator Hale. Of
Maine. is IN the hands Of the Govern.
ment Printing Office and will shortly
be distributed under Congressional
sanction.
Besides the annual naval appropria-
ton law, which are printed in full
indexed. the book contains tables on
naval strength Of the power and deals
with ali subjects related 20 ship and
peronnel
Mr.. Pulsifer, who has gathered
his information very carefully from
official sources. declares that the
United States is next 70 Great Britain
ships afloat and that Germany
leads the United States in shipbuild-
ing. In reply to an inquiry made TO
him, Mr.. Pulsifer said:
Notwithstanding the continued
bustling of Germany to overcome
Great Britain's plan of a two
power navy, the United States is
nearly, if rot quite, abreast OF
Germany, weighing all points which
make for efficiency. In completed
tonnage the United States is ahead
of Germany. In battleships COM
pIeted, both in number and displace-
ment, the United States leads Ger
many. Including battleships COM
pleted, under construction aud pro-
vided for the number for each coun
try is identical, while the United
States exceeds Germany in total
battleship tonnage.
In armored cruisers Germany out
numbers the United States in both
built and building, if the classif
cation of our Navy Department is
followed; but if the cruisers Charles
ton, Milwaukee and st. Louis are
considered as armored cruisers
and they are so reckoned by for
eign authorities the United
States would be ahead in number
and displacement of this class of YES
sells. 1t should be stated, however,
to Germany's advantage. that the
four armored cruisers now building
there are of what is known as the
dreadnaught type.
Including naval vessels of all
classes, in total number Germany is
ahead of the United States. 1t should
here be stated in favor of the Uuited
States that her navy is the youngest
navy in the world.
''In large guns, which include IL,
II, 13 and 14-inch, Germany leads
the United States, but it should be
mentioned that nearly half of Ger
many's armament consists of 11-inch
guns, of which the United States has
none. The United States has plans
provided for twenty 14-inch guns,
while Germany has none projected for
this calibre."
In relation to the matter of the con-
stantly increasing size of ships and
the calibre of guns, Mr.. Pulsifer said:
"The next tonnage is likely to be
$4,000 and the guns 16-inch. The
United States it will be recalled pro-
vided last year for two 27,000-ton
battleships, which are to carry Ia
inch guns, this being a larger cali
bre than carried by any other navy
except the 92,0O0-ton ship building
for Brazil"
When asked his judgment as to
the best type of ship yet provided
for, Mr.. Pulsifer said:
81 do not profess to have any
technical knowledge of shipbuilding
but as an interested layman / reit-
crate the same opinion that / ex-
pressed last year, and that is,
believe it has not yet been shown
that there is any better ship than
the Michigan and the South Carolina,
which each has a tonnage of 10000
tons and carries eight 12inch guns.
which can all be used in broadside. ="
Baltimore Sunday Sun.