The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-10-15

from Europe would. Il Is said had 1t
been In tho hands OF the Confederaoy,
been abie to destroy the whole North
ern navy. If we had had four ad-
ditional battleships similar to the Ore
gon on the Atlantic. at the time tho
Spanish-American War began, We
would have had no war. Spain would
not have sent over her fleet. Now the
Oregon cost in the ne.ghborhood Of So
10000. and four additional oregons
would have cost perhaps $4,000. 900.
The Spanish War cost over $500. ooo.-
600 above that amount. So that had
those Oregons been in commission We
might have saved the cost OF that war
and have still had our Investment in
tact. One of the greatest advantages
OF strong navy is that 1t prevents
the other fellow attacking you. A
strong navy insures peace, and there
fore we must have the strongest"
Does it pay to have anything else %
No. Small ships are like the LII
iipuiians against an army of Guilivers.
They are like one petty policeman
against mob of toughs. 1T is the
stronS man who is not attacked or
course we must have auxilliaries and
scouts and destroyers. too"
Give me some Idea of our Sig
guns?"
This is the day of the big gun, and
CT the all-big- gun battleship. We have
now twelve-inch guns and are about
to make some of fourteen Inches. A
fourteen-inch gun uses a prujectiIe
weightiE5 l.400 pounds. Its bore Is so
big that good sized man could easily
crawl into it,
Are other nations building such
suns?"
Yes. all the great European powers
and Japan are making big guns. The
British navy has guns which are thir-
teen end hilf inches.
Uncle snm Versus Europe.
How do our ships compare with
those of the other great powers?
ship for ship, they are as good. In
number and armament Great Britain
leads. We are now second and in q
few months we will be third. Germany
has number of great battleships I'M
der way. and her navy will soon be
superior to ours"
How many ships have we in our
ieet?"
We have twenty one vessels of the
first line, and they are OF the high
est degree of efficiency. We do not
have thew scattered as they were in
the past. They are now massed as
divisions, of which there are four.
They are known as divisions and not
as single vessels"
Our Big Fleet.
what Is the Aeet?"
ut is composed of these twenty one
battleships. One of these is for the
COMMUNICATIVE icf and the other
twenty are In four divisions OF five
ships each We expect to keep four
ships of each division in active com
mission. and the fifth will be at the
navy yard for overhaulng"
But Is this fleet large enough?"
I'VE think So"
But suppose. Mr.. Secretary. you
could have a navy regardless of cost
Suppose you were Aladdin and by rub
bling the lamp could call upon GER
tain eenii to create navy for you
In night. What would you order so
as to make an absolutely sure and
safe protection for the United States %
you mean without regard to Con-
gress. without regard to cost and for
the sole protection OF our country and
the prevention OF warp"
YES" said 1, that is just what I
mean"
We'll. In that case would have two
fleets like the one We have now. sone
of these would be for the Atlantic ans
the other for the Pacific. don't think
! there would be any danger Of an.
power upon earth attacking us then