Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-09

Britain, the United States
M has what Is perhaps the
Wv most powerful navy in the
world. 1t costs approx
mately s130.000.0oo a year
for the maintenance and expansion of
our lighting force on the seas, of which
approximately 500, GOO, 900 goes toward its
upkeep., The authorized enlisted force OF
the navy embraces 1850 men of the
seamen branch and 1881 marines. If
Congress follows the recommendations OF
the naval authorities in ten years the
United States will have about forty first
class battleships, forty scout cruisers
and 10 torpedo boat destroyers. The cost
of building such a number of scout cruis-
ers and torpedo boat destroyers would
be more than 500 900, 00O With forty
battleships on the list only twenty-one
would be kept in active commission, as
at present. the remaining ones being kept
in reserve. Likewise only four or five of
the scout cruisers would be kept in &C.
tive commission continuously. and no
more destroyers would be kept in full
commission than at present
Although the active battle fleet has
been increased from sixteen to twenty
one ships. and the torpedo fleet has been
added to In an even greater proportion
the cost of maintaining the entire navy
has decreased, and should Congress au-
thorize all of the new construction de-
sired by the Navy Department in the
way of battleships. cruisers, destroyers,
repair ships etc, the aggregate expense
would not be materially increased, since
1t is expected that the economy result
ing from improved administration meth
DDS will offset the cost of maintenance of
an increased number of ships in reserve.
Although the United States now leads
the world in naval construction with it's
projected 3O,0O0-ton battleships. only
twenty-eight years ago this nation did
not have a single armored ea-going
warship. Although the size of battle
ships has risen from 16,OOv tons displace
ment to 10000 tons in ten years, the cost
has not risen in proportion. 1t costs but
little more to build the 26,OOO-ton Arkan-
saS than 1t cost to construct the 20, 600
ton Delaware: The Vermont whose keel
was laid in 1904, and which has a dis
placement of 10000 TONS cost a quarter
of a million dollars more than the Utah
of 22.OOO tons displacement. Battleships
have grown greater not only in size and
in the strength of their armament, but
also in their efficiency. The Delaware,
of 10000 tons displacement, burns less
coal than the Connecticut. of 10000 tons
displacement.
One of the most interesting factories in
the world Is the naval gun factory at
Washington, which Is the largest gum
making establishment on earth. Here
sixty-ton guns are picked up and carried
around with as little apparent exertion
as a boy makes in lifting an air rifle to
his shoulder, and the largest guns built
are the fourteen-inch monsters, which
will be placed on the new battleships.
With a 36o-pound shot of smokeless pow
der they hurl ], 400-pound shell through
the air with an initial speed of nearly
half a mile a second. So great is the
force with which this shell is propelled
that it has a possible range of 5000
yards. One of these shells would pierce
at least five feet Of wrought iron. The
on its death-deaiing mission generates
sonic Temple of Chicago two feet in the
air in single second. At seven miles
one Of these shells would pierce the
heaviest armor. At every broadside of
the twenty fourteen-inch guns of two
of the latest battleships more than
twelve tons of metal would be hurled
against the opposing feet. This Is much
more than the entire gun power of
Deweys whole fleet at Manila. This
metal will be propelled by more than
three tons of smokeless powder and the
aggregate cost of each broadside will rep
resent much more than the annual sal
airy of the admiral of the navy.
1t is believed that the naval battles of
the future will be fought at long range,
and that the issue will be determined
largely by the effectiveness of guns at
distance of seven miles or more. In
this particular the American naval gum
ner has the advantage of those of any
other country. In the battle of Santiago
Admiral Evans estimates only per cent