Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1911-11-17

first English dreadnought was put in commission
American-drawn plans for two such vessels tenta
lively called the Feasible and the Possible, re-
posed In dusty pigeonholes in the navy depart
ment at Washington. They were resurrected
later in the light of developments abroad.
Thirty-five eagoing battleships and dread
Notwithstanding with the Indiana, Massachu-
sets and Oregon group, laid down in 1891, and III
Guiding the s8000,000 dreadnoughts New
York and Texas yet unborn-nlay be said to con-
stitute the main line of Uncle Sans sea fight
ers.
The other battIeship groups and types, in
chronological succession 2, Iowa; 3, Kear-
sarge and Kentucky; 4, Alabama, Illinois, Wis
consin. Maine. Missouri and Ohio; 5, Virginia,
Rhode Island, New Jersey, Georgia Nebraska,
Kansas, Connecticut Louisiana. Vermont, New
Hampshire, Minnesota, Mississippi and Idaho.
After these, beginning in 1866 with the
dreadnoughts South Carolina and Michigan, come
the present dreadnought series: North Dakota,
Delaware, Florida Utah. Wyoming Arkansas
Texas and New York.
In the meantime, demonstrated In the mimic
Battle of Block Island" this summer, the sub
marines have practically proved the battleships
vulnerable, therefore OutclaSsed and ObsOlescent.
These maneuvers may be said to have borne out
the prediction of a plank in the Proposed Plat
form for the American Party, published In 1907:
I'VE desire that the American navy shall be
the most powerful and efficient In the world; but
we consider that new inventions have displaced
or are about to d1SplaCe the 0dttIeShp, cruiser,
torpedO-boat and monitor and therefore hesitate
to make further appropriations for these types OF
fighting craft"
Conservative statesmen in the United States
senate have denounced the vast appropriations
for armored ships-sums estimated in the aggre-
gate at more than $10OO0,O00-as bad invest
ment. They have stigmatized the United States
navy "a lot OF old tubs, more dangerous to
those the inside than to those without"
Even in England the day of the dreadnought is
beginning to decline, while the submarine-to say
nothing of the aeroplane-is yet in infancy.
At this rate, ere long, congress may hear
the cry Of the armed-peace advocates changing
to Millions for development of the diving boat;
not one cent more for dreadnoughts!"
The naval men themselves are not slow to read
the signs of coming change,
1t may be only question OF very few years
when the general adoption OF 14inch gun capa-
bic of shooting with accuracy at a distance OF
fifteen miles Will revoutionize naval warfare
Such gun is now In process of trying out, and
If 1t proves success 1t will make all the coast
defenses of today practically useless.
There Is doubt" declares Rear Admiral
Francis T. Bowles, U. S. N. retired that fleet
equipped with the 14-inch gun of the latest
type could New York or any other seaport
in less than hour. 1t seems to me that the
answer to this problem of coast defense is made
by the submarine. | believe that the submarine
Is going to be taken more seriously every year
by naval experts. 1t is the most deadly enemy OF
the battleship."