The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-10-08
SEES THE NEED
FOR MORE SHIPS


Washington. oct S-To keep the
United States nan abreast Of the na-
tionaI needs. the senerai board ~ the
navy. headed % Admiral Dewey. his
recommended the asthori1aJiCa oy
Consress next year q four batti,ships
q the Pennsylvania type, two swift
| and powerful ba-tieship cruisers near
~ ss large. and a pvoporJion2te num-
Der 81 torpedo craft and auNiIisries.
IS In previous ycars. ;hc reccmmea-
dations q the general board are based
upon The conviction that feet 81 for-
! ts--eiSht harJleships with cruisers and
auNiliariss and tcrpc1U craft III pro-
portion is required for the adequate
lef-use - the coasts. commerce and
dependencies az the United State. The
secretary % The ravy. George Won l..
Never. viii doubtless be obliged 10
strike comprumIsc between the rec
nmnsrdati0ns q the board and the
sncwu opposition Il Congress o. such
are expenditures. In naval circles 1t
predicted that he viii recommend
me auJho-ization u three battl-ships
and rosS bis one battieship cruiser
For considerable period. until this
year Congress usually had authorized
TWO new haitleships YEAR. out the
Democratic house az gLe last session
ut this down ty one. BY recommend
Ing the construction Of three AZ the
session which viii end March &. 1913.
Mr.. Meyer viii try 10 enable the naval
defense 20 catch up with the former
rate % progress Members Of the gen.
oral board believe the fleet. requires
Eve Pennsylvania. This is the larg-
est type Of battleship ever projected
N the United States. and possibly in
Tie wlrI6. although there have been
reports OF the authorization Of g.
eo0-ton fighting monster by Great
Britain The Pennsylvania Will be 500 /
feet long. % feet beam and have dis |
placement OF more than 1000 tons. 4
Tie desired armament is twelve IL (
inch guns. mounted three in a turret: !
,wenty-tvO --inch guns and two sub |
merged el-incE torpedo tubes install /
.atinn for oil Will be used and the !
speed be- upward 81 twenty-five knots /
fhe batt!eship cruiser is equal 10 the |
srgest battleship in size end arma
nent. but its armor protection Ia sac
-irice for greater speed. estimated at
u least twenty EIGHT knots per hour.
The general board il Of the opinion
hat two Of these battlcship cruisers
.hould be built each year until there
re at least eight. Eight dcsroyers If
he same desiim rs those now under
construction have been recommended. !
These ships have length of 2SS feet.
beam Of 2G feet and displacement of
~ tons. Their contract speed Is thir-
= knots per hour. According 10 the
eport Of the general board. the short
sc in destroyers On the basis of thir-
y-three battleships now in the navy
5 seventy -foJr. Two fuel ships prob
bly, both oil carriers, will be on the
entative program. Members Of the
ener1I board ind that the navy is AT
resent ten fuel ships short Of It's
eeds. and that 1t is absolutely nee
o'"iJ IL 'l' c"l'I'IISS u the navy IS ~,
o be upheld that two be built next
ear.
\ hospital ship, repair ship one or
wo tenders for submarines and de-
troyers, supply and ammunition ships,
re thoroughly considered in the re-
ort. TIE report Of the general board
eiines the increase of the Great Brit
In. German and japanese navies as
v ar.thmetical progression. BY sta
sites 1t demonstrates just how far ,
ehind each OF the nations mentioned
ne United States navy Is.