The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-25
NAVY MAD.

NAVY MAD.
An excellent argument for the has
tening of the day or universal peace
among the nations of the earth was
contained in a recent dispatch from
Washington. 1t was to the effect that
as soon as some other nation begins
10 arm its warships with 14-inch guns
the caliber of the rifles which will
compose the main batteries of the
latest designed dreadnoughts of the
American navy-the United States will
seriously consider the 16-inch gun for
| battIeships. The largest gun on for
eign vessels today is the 13.5-inch in
use bl Great Britain and Russia This
dispatch went on to state that the
problem of a 16-inch gun is already
being worked out in theory by the
ordnance experts and naval construc-
tors of the United States navy, with
imaginary $4,000 and 10000 ton bat
tleships in order to prepare to take an
advanced step whenever foreign COM
petition warrants. For rifles of 16-
inch caliber, warship must neces-
sarily have a displacement of at least
$1,000 tons to resist the terrific recoil-
More recently dispatch came
from Washington that the building Of
a 10000 ton battleship was out of the
QueStlOn
cause their draught would be such
that they could enter only a few of
the American harbors and that there
is at present no docking facilities to
handle ships of such size in ade
quate fashion. But what matters
such trifies if the naval enthusiasts
decide that the United States must
have larger and more powerfully
armed battIeships to keep abreast of
the almost fanatica1 development of
modern navies? Spending millions
and millions of dollars to deepen har- |
bors and to provide new and enlarged |
dry dock facilities so that such mon
ster battleships can be properly cared |
for will be trifing incidents to the wise
men of the navy.
Pre- eminence in the size and arma-
ment of dreadnoughts must be main
tanned at all hazards and at whatever
cost, or so think the naval experts.
And it is the unending striving for this
of military and naval
pre- -eminence that is bringing some of
the major powers face to face with
bankruptcy. Not all or any of the ma
tions in the world today are as
wealthy, or have such resources as has
the United States. Heavy as has been
the expense of developing and main
tanning the army and navy here Of
late years, the burden has not yet ap-
preached the mark where it has been
heavily felt by the people. But it is
a ruthless dissipation of much money,
nonetheless, and if the present gait Is
kept up of building larger and larger
battleships, preparing harbors and dry
docks for them, it won't be long be-
fore the burden will be too great a
one to be borne by the people with
squanimity.
The tremendous military and naval
activities of late years have already
begun to pinch the Golfers of other ra-
ions. If this statement is doubted,
AXE look at the taxes the people A..
nave to pay in Germany, in France and !
n Russia. Germany is credited with I
having the largest and best equipped j
army in the world at the present time. t
And the reason Germany has not
brown this army on France, on ac-
count of the situation that has de-
reloped in Morocco, is because Ger
many has not the money to maintain !
his army in the field and wage war /
With it. Nor can Germany borrow the '
money needed. Perhaps, though, uni t
7ersal peace will be hastened on it's I
way through the actual bankruptcy of !
ome of the nations in their mad rush
or military and naval supremacy.
But it will be a heavy price to pay. !
when a few sensible concessions on a
he part of all the major nations can Q
'ring about such desirable end. Z