The Washington times., 1911-08-11
Admiral Togo Impressed by
What He Saw at
Navy Yard.
TO BE USED BY BOTH
BRANCHES OF SERVICE
Army to Use Ii to Defend Canal,
and Ii Will Be Placed on
New Dreadnaughts.

Fourteen-inch guns, for army and
navy offense and defense, are now an
actually In the military service of the
United States. This was the most start
ling fact that confronted Admiral Togo,
the ranking officer of the Japanese
navy, on his visit to the United States.
Though the admiral expressed only
mild and polite interest to Captain Beat
tie and the officers escorting him
through the Washington Navy Yard,
when he saw the great fourteen-inch
armament completed and in process of
manufacture, it became known through
diplomatic channels that of all the
wonderful things the admiral saw he
was most impressed with the advance
IN American armament.
The japanese navy has not yet ad-
Vanced beyond the stage of twelve-inch
rifles. In the other navies of the world
the fourteen-inch gun is in the expert
mental stage. in America, however,
the step from twelve-inch to fourteen
inch guns has been accomplished. For
several years both the army and navy
have been experimenting with the big
ger rifles 1t was discovered that they
had many drawbacks, chief of which
was the wear on the gun of Il singio
firing, and the great shock Of the re-
coil.
Difficulty Overcome.
These two features have held the for
eIgn navies moro or less in check, but
they were secretly overcome by our
army and navy ordnance experts more
than a year ago. and given a satisfac-
tory trial at Indian Head. The change
from IL to II inch guns was made secret
~. Only in the last few weeks, with the
Panama Canal fertilization started and
the plans for armament of the two new
dreadnaughts approved has the world
gr2sped the fact that 14-inch rifles were
an actrality and not an experiment by
the American military authorities. 1t
% a question Of but a few years when
the Pinch guns will be supplanIed as
e1eCtually as the 12-inch variety sup
planted the old los OF the Spanish war,
which ut the time were regarded as the
heaviest possible armament for battle
ships.
II was learned today that the Army
Ordnance Bureau received from the
Cilth-Stirling steel plant at Giesboro
Point 800 rounds of ammunition for use
In the trial tests of the l4-inch guns,
which will re mounted at the approaches
Of the Panama Canal.
Each one of these steel shot cost
the Government $34O, and each shell
equally as much. That makes an ap-
proximate cost of 500 for shot and
shell, without the dunnite, the secret
process powder. used by both branches
of the service. 1t will be recalled that
st was a dunnite charge frsm a L.
inch gun that so effectively cracked the
turret of the monitor Florida in a test
at Hampton Roads few years ago.
All Fourteen-Inch Guns.
Though the fact has been guarded
with the utmost secrecy. all the big
guns in process of manufacture for the
navy at the Washington navy yard at
the present time are Of the 14-inch va
riety.
All of the newer dreadnaughts will be
equipped with these guns. 1t is the
conviction Of American experts that
the great vessels of $1,000 tons or over,
can eaSily stand under a broadside dis
charge of ten of these monsters.
special reCoi set for thc guns has
been turned out by the Al my Ordnance
e"ent tests have proven that
the life of the 14-inch guns will be as
49,. # mot greater. than the Pinch.
Both branches of the service have
adopted the cast gun, with steel casing
of the type used on the twelve-inch.
To Guard Panama Canal.
The new fourteen-inch gun will be
mounted on the new coast defense for
tifications, and all the new dread
naughts will be equipped with them. In
addition to the two great vessels build
ing guns are now being made for the
two dreadnaughts whose keels will be
laid in the early fail Of the present
year. The army will mount fourteen
inch rifles at both approaches to the
Panama canal, at the Pearl Harbor
base, the Gibraltar of the Pacific,
which is rapidly nearly completion. al
the Olongapo naval station and base In
the Philippines. There is also a prof.
ect under consideration by the coast
defense board of the army, to mount
two batteries of the guns, in new for
tihcation for New York harbor, the de-
tails and site of which have been kept
secret.
Exception Made for Togo.
Although Secretary of the Navy
Meyer sent out a circular several
months ago TO navy yard command
ants. cautioning them to use the great
est care and Judgment in showing for
eIgn naval experts through our yards
and stations, an exception was made
with Admiral Togo. He saw all the
great gun shops at the Navy Yard
here. witnessed all the processes, and
was permitted to inspect the fourteen
inch guns He will undoubtedly take
the matter Of heavier armament VI
with his home government as soon as
he returns to Japan.
No accurate description of the tire
mendous size of the new monsters o.
destruction can be written. 1t Is
fact. however. that one of these guns
can accommodate on the barrel an en-
tire company Of marines.