The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-23


 could use oil instead of coal is recos-
 nized by naval experts. Practically no
 smoke results from oil combustion, 50
 that an entire fleet of oil burning ships
 might cruise the seas without leaving
 any trace of their whereabouts. The
 smoke from battleships is the most tell
 tale sign they leave, for the enemy In
 the recent naval war game. conducted
 when the battleship fleet returned from
 abroad the smoke from the ships left
 a trace which the scout cruisers took
 advantage of Though they did not cor
 rectly judge the fleets course at first.
 the officers aboard the scouts perceived
 the smoke and speedily got on the trail
 of the fleeing enemy" This test was
 held when the battleships were attempt
 ing to make Guassanamo, Cuba, the win
 ter rendezvous early last January. The
 scouts put out of Hampton Roads and
 located the fleet so quickly that the
 wireless messages of the 'enemys' ad-
 vance came in time to permit of a fleet
 being rushed from Hampton Roads ill
 time to intercept the enemy befors
 Guantanamo could be reached.
 Practically all of the new batteships have oil burners and oil fuel tanks. These burners are only auxiliary to the steam boilers. There are a number
 among expert naval architects who be- tlieve that 1t would be most valuable , experiment to make one of the two ships now being planned an oil burner exclu- sively-omitting the coal furnace. They
 maintain that in time the merchant ships
 of the world will discard coal fuel and
 burn oil When this time arrives. it iJ
 said, the navies of the world will burn
 oil exclusively. One drawback to oil
 burners now is the inability to replenish the fuel tank In many quarters of the world But with the worlds merchant
 marine burning oil fuel, supply stations
 will be common and the warships would
 have little trouble in replenishing their tanks.
 It is possible that the newest battle-
 ships will be without marines in their
 complements. An effort is to be made at the coming session of Congress, the l regular session that begins in December, to provide special ships for the use of
 marines These ships are to be protected cruisers. capable of great speed The plan is to have at least four of them for the Atlantic fleet, and two for the Pa cifc fleet as a starter. They will be | manned by the marines and will carry stores and the war munitions that are needed by landing forces.
 The trouble with the present arrange ment whereby marines are distributed aboard the batteships is that the ma rines, while on the battleships are given service in the different gun crews. In I time of war the marines are withdrawn as landing forces, leaving the gun crews ! minus valuable men, raw recruits or men | inexperienced in gun fire work being im- pressed into service in their stead.
 Backers of the greater navy propa- ganda" have, it Is said, been given as- | surance by the democratic leaders in | the House that the economy that the democrats will insist upon will not result in a reduction of the present plan of authorizing two new battleships each year. The republicans are, or were, com- mitted to this policy. Many democrats lare eager champions of bigger navy. and believe it is not wise to build less than two battleships each year. Among the most prominent of these democrats IS Representative Hobson of Alabama, of Merrimac fame. Representative Hobson has fought vigorously for naval increase since he resigned from the navy and was elected to Congress. Two other mem- bers of the House are ex-saiors, Repre- sentative Loud of Michigan and Repre- sentative Weeks of Massachusetts,. Both of these men are republicans and are strong navy increase boosters Repre- sentative Loud was an officer under Dewey during the Dattie ol Mdiiid pay Representative Weeks Is a graduate of the Naval academy, but resigned from the navy when an ensign to go into the banking business in Boston. They are still great champions of the navy, and work nights keeping off the economists who believe the naval estimates and appropriations should be cut down.
 Neither Secretary Meyer nor any of the expert naval builders will publicly dis
 cuss at this time the plans for the new ships. Great secrecy Is maintained as to the general makeup of the main battery. That-it will consist of ten
 1s-inch guns is certain. The ideal battery
 according to experts. one that the navy
 builders are working to perfect, Is bat
 tery of 12 14-inch guns. The ships to be
 authorized by Congress this winter. it
 is possible. will have batteries of this
 mower.