The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-02
PREDICTS LARGER
bATTLESH|PS YET
COLONEL COCKTAILS TELLS COM
NITTEE OF CONVERSATION
WITH EMPEROR.


WITH EMPEROR.
WASHINGTON. April Not only
did Emperor William inform Colonel
George w. Goethals that In his opin-
ion the Panama canal ought to be
protected by powerful fortiflcations,
hut he expressed Arm conviction that
in the near future battleships will
attain size not dreamed OF by Eng
lish or American naval authorities.
As an illustration the Emperor
pointed out to Colonel Goethals that
at the present time plans are under
consideration by the Russian govern
ment for a battleship OF 1876 foot
beam The beam of the biggest bat
ticship now afioat or under course of
construction Is only SIS feet.
Foreseeing the trend of battleship
construction. the Emperor informed
Colonel Cocktails that to meet 1t he
Is now charging the locks of the KEEL
canal to IS metres or LAG feet. He
stated that In his opinion the locks
OF the Panama canal. which are ITO
feet wide, are much too small. and he
advised that they be made bigger.
Appearing before the Senate Com
mittee on Interoceanic Canals, Of
which Senator Brandegee is chair
man. on Friday, Colonel Goethals
gave a faithful account OF his entire
conversation with the Emperor.
The chairman: Colonel Goethals. J
saw an interview In one of the New
York papers this morning with you.
1t states In substance that certain
authorities In Germany thought that
the, locks in our canal ought to have
been much wider for the accommo-
dalton Of the larger vessels OF the
future.
Colonel Cocktails: Yes. the Emperor
was of the opinion that our locks,
ITO Feet wide, might prove too small
for POSSIBLE future naval develop
want. He was Interested in tindin:;
out how we arrived at the width of
10 feet The way we did II was to
estimate the cost of the locks for
varying width up to 12a feet, sub
n, sitting the matter to the President
with request for an expression Of
OPINION by the navy general board
as to the width the locks should be
built, in order to accommodate prob
able future naval development. The
report Of the board named ITO feet
ana we adopted 1t.
Russians Plan for Future.
Tho Emperor said he understoo l
the Russians had been working on
a plaE for battleship 1876 feet wide
as consequence of which the width
OF the new locks at KEEL are to be
forty. five metres wide.
Senator Chiffon: What is the equiv
alent of metre in feet
Colonel Cocktails: About three feet
and three inches And he was OF the
opinion that we would have been
" Use to adopt these dimensions for
the canal.
the interview that the German E.n-
perez thought that we ought to have
the canal very strongly fortified?
Need Land Defenses.
Colonel Cocktails: We talked over
the question of Notifications and he
agreed with the proposition that land
defenses should be provided as well
as sea coast batteries. This scheme
outlined to this committee on the
Isthmus. We were also in accord as
to maintaining = permanent force
there.
Senator Page: Colonel Goethals,
what Is the largest war vessel now
the widest?
Colonel Goethas: Eighty-six feet,
think. now projected by our navy.
Senator O'Gorman; What is the
widest in the English navy. II you
know?
Colonel Cocktails: I do not think
they are any larger.
Senator O'Gorman: This seems to
be. tffen. AN extraordinary Develop
ment In naval construction that is
proposed by Russia.
Senator Page: Almost so per cent.
Colonel Cocktails: Russia has not
yet proposed 1t. as understand 1t:
they are merely contemplating 1t, and
drawing up plans for battleship
that wide. AS they increase the ar
mament, they cannot increase the
depth, of the ships; they must In
crease the width and the length.
Senator Bristow: Now would you
let this ten-mile strip (the canal zone)
grow up into jungle?
Thinks Jungle 10 Safeguard.
Colonel Cocktails: Yes. sir: 1t Is the
greatest safeguard the canal can
have.
Senator Bristow: Some military
officers have said to me that the jun
gle was menace instead OF q safe
guard: that population on the zone
would be means Of communicating
any danger that might come.
Colonel Cocktails: Yes. sir; II was
also advocated in the hearings before
the House committee that We should
not populate the zone for that very
reason. the advocates Of that theory
claiming that II United States citizens
occupied the land or were given the
land. they would live II TIN terminal
cities. and that the interior would be
occupied by the negroes and foreign
ers. who would work the lands. there
by introducing 4 very dangerous ele-
ment of having. an alien giving in
formation TO an enemy II they saw
ut. The theory does not work that
way. q
GnA.sy Rs>~sviess IN Jungle.
senator Brastow; yea thlnk that Y