Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-03-03
NAVAL MEASURES PROVIDE FOR
A THIRD MORE FIGHTING
FORCE THAN EXISTS.
PLAN EIGHT new Vessels
New krnpp Models stand Uncquallcd
for n Long Timc-Someihing of
Conviction of gentleman Spy.


force Of the German navy, it is prac-
tically certain, will be increased almost
third by the naval measures which
Will shortly be submitted to the reich
stag. These will, 1t is understood pro-
vide the men and money for commits
soning a third squadron of eight re-
serve battleships which will be kept
fully manned and in constant service
so that they will form TO all intents
and purposes an integral part of the
active battle fleet. Four Of these
ships, all Of them members of the ac-
tive fleet which participated in the
great naval review last summer, will
be available during the year and the
other four within another eighteen
months.
Public attention in Germany and
abroad, particularly in Great Britain
which has been concentrated on the
more sensational issue Of laying down
during the next six years six new nam
moth "battle-crulsers" not provided
for 10y the organic law governing the
construction Of the German fleet has
failed to notice the significance of the
proposals for the reserve ships.
The original naval act, providing
for a fleet of thHty-four battleships
half to constitute the active fleet and
half to be in reserve, specifically de-
cared that half the reserve units
should be kept in commission with fun
crews. Owing to financial reasons
and the difficulty Of training officers
and men fast enough TO man the biz
ships Of the new navy, this reserve has
consisted of only two little antiques,
the Wittelsbach ana the Kaiser VII
helm H., which, with their 9.4-lnch
guns are merely pygmes beside mod
ern batlleshps.
With the large number of new
dreadnaughts completed or rapidly ape
proaching completion the admiralty
not only has been able to get together
for the first time the full complement
of seventeen battleships, including The
fleet flagship requirIl for the hish
sea fleet, but will also be able to COM
mission in The reverse four fairly mod
ern ships Of the Elsass class, which
under the old system would Join the
others now ashed to the harbor spies
They are barely eight years old and
carry each four Of the Krupp 11-inch
guns which German experts consideI
equal to ,the l2-inch guns carried i0
foreign navies. Another batch of
drcadnaughts TO be finished in 1918
or the spring Of 1914, will force -four
sister ships from the high sea fleet in
to the active reserve, giving the high
sea fleet two complete squadrons each
of eight modern dreadnaughts.
The Kaiser. Kaiserin and Friederich
der Crosse, which were launched las
autumn the Prinzregent Luitpold
launched this month. ana the Kinq
Albert which Is almost ready, are sald
to carry ten 12-mch guns, two les
than their predecessors. AS. however
the new ships are rated at 24,5O0 tons
nearly 1000 tons larger than theil
Of the Ostfriesland class
which carry twelve 12-inch guns, ther,
is a suspicion that Germany has some
thing up its sleeve and that the ship
carry the new thirty-five centimetre
gun made by the Kruppf
The Krupp works hayenoW complet-
ed and tested, it is stated, l4-inch aut
even 15-inch guns for battleships. II
as IS stated, the Krupps have beer
able to increase the bore Of the gul
and the weight of the projectile to th'
extent without diminishing the muz2ls |
velocity of the shot. the newest KrupI
model promises to stand unequalleG |
for long time to come.