The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-04
ALL BATTLESHIPS
TOBE MADE READY
On March IS Navy Will Be Able
to Report 100 Per Cent.
Equipped for Service.
NO RECORD TO EQUAL IT
At That Time There Will Be 81
Battlesllips in Atlantic Fleet
and 10 More in Reserve.

New York, December 3.-On March
TO- Tor the first time in the history of
what is popularity known as the new
navy the percentage at American
pattieships ready for service will be
loo per cent. On that day, If tho
work now in hand goes on as sched-
uled and there Is no reason to be-
! iiefe that 1t VIII not, there Will not
De battleship In any of tho navy
yards for repairs. and every shin of
that class then in commission will be
ready for service at practically mo.
ment's notice.
On the date In question the battlo.
snip fleet of the country will number
tWenty-one effective battleships. all of
winch VIII then be in the Atlantic
meet, and reserve battleship fleet Of
ten more. nine of them reserve ships,
together with the cruisers Brooklyn,
minneapolis. Columbia and certain
othcr vessels. are to be organized into
heet to BIO known as the United
States Atlantic reserve fleet which
Will be under command Of n rear-ad.
miral yet to be designated by the Navy
Department
The bringing Of the navy to this state
of efficiency has been ACCOMPLISHED
within the last two years. Two years
ago the ready -for-service battleship
percentage of the navy was GO per cent
1t is said that 1t Is doubtful IL any
other navy In the world was ever able
70 promise such an efficiency showing
as that forecast for March by Score.
tary of the Navy Meyer.
Tie new Atlantic reserve fleet, which
is soon TO be organized, will be made
up of the battleships Maine. Iowa. In
diana and MASSACHUSETTS,, which are
now ready for service. and the Alabama
Illinois, Kentucky, Kearsarge and WIS
consin, the repairs on which will have
peen completed before March IS next
1T is stated By the Secretary of the
navy In his report that while each OF
the reserve ships will BIO manned by
only the nucleus of crew. zach of them
VIII be ready for active service on a
few hours notice" BY combining the
! crews Of three or four of these ships.
II VIII be possible the secretary points
out 10 take each of them out TO sea
ior practice cruises for short periods
each year.
AS for the Atlantic fleet, which on
that date Is to number twenty-one bat
tleships. II Will DO tho most powerful
naval organization In the world outside
OF the great iieets OF the British Navy.
1t will Include the Drendnoughts Flor
ida. Utah, North Dakota. Delaware.
South Carolina and Michigan and the
oattleships Connecticut, Louisiana, YER
mont. Kansas. New Hampshire, Mime
sofa. Missouri, Mississippi. Idaho, Ohio
Georgia, Virginia, New Jersey, Nebras-
ka and Rhode Island. besides the ar
mored cruisers Washington, North
Carolina and Tennessee and the scoH
cruisers Chester. Salem and Birming-
ham, and several big notillas of torpedo
and submarine craft
BY next summer. when Il is rumored
that New York Will again be the scene
OF great naval inspection and re-
view In the Hudson. greater in every
respect than the recent one. the feet
VIII be still further increased by the
addition OF the powerful super-Dread-
houghts Wyoming and Arkansas, each
OF which will have main battery of
Twelve twelve-inch guns. The Dread
thoughts OF the Florida and Delaware
classes carry ten guns of tho twelve
Inch type.
When the Wyoming and Arkansas
are added to the fleet. the former will
become the flagship OF the command :
er-in-chief and Will be independent of
the fleet divisions. At present the fleet
flagship Is also the flagship OF the first
division. and the communicative chief.
In addition to his duties as fleet com
mander. also exercises direct COM
mand over the division.
When the Wyoming Is added and
becomes the fleet flagship another