The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-02
AMERICAN BATTlEsH|Ps
ARE OF INFERIOR VALUE
Washington Inventor Makes Startling
Allegation Mt TeIopestuous Com
mittee Hearing.
DENIAL By ORDNANCE CHIEF
Charges Navy Officials With Trying
to Prevent Use of Modern Inven.
lions Which Would Lessen Demand
for Armor Plate and New Ships.
Especial to The Times Dispatch. ]

Especial to The Times D!spatch.]
WASHINGTON, OCTOBER THAT
thirty-two battleships OF the navy.
supposed to be equal In lighting
strength to foreign vessels of the same
tonnage and armament. arc of Inferior
offensive value, and that the three
vessels for which bids will he opened
next week will be as worthless and
obsolete upon their completion az n
uintlock musket, was alleged by Will
lard S. Isham. u Washington inventor.
at tempestuous hearing before the
Senate Committee on Naval Affairs to-
day.
Coupled with this. Isham made SON
sational charges against officials OF the
Navy Department whom he declared
were trying to prevent the use CO
modern Inventions which would lessen
the demand for armor plate and new
ships.
Kear-Admiral Joseph Strauss. chief
OF ordnance. who was present to repre-
sent the Navy Department. and upon
whom lsham's charges centred. took the
stand and gave his reasons in reply
to questions from Senators, why Isham
had been barred from the tests of a
shell which he had invented. lie
claimed that Isham's language and con-
duct had made him Objectionable to the
department..
Strauss added that the government
already has spent 100000 testing tho
Isham shell, but that 1t desires a test
that Will not be unduly difficult and
expensive.
Mr.. Isham's charges were that the
navy Is inefficient and unable to protect
Itself from the enemy's attacks because
1t is outranged by the guns and shells
OF the world powers. and because ships
OF other nations are faster He said:
"Thirty-two of our older battleships.
carrying guns OF equal or lesser power
than those In the Idaho, arc inefficient
for tho purposes for which they were
designed because they are outranged
By foreign ships having gums of su-
perior range and possessing superior
speed"
He argued that this defect could be
obviated by the use OF q good torpedo
shell. He said:
The issue Is not tho Isham shell or
anybody's shell in particular. The ques-
ton is whether the ordnance officers
shall prevent tho use OF any torpedo
shell because they Lessen the demand
for armor plate and for now ships.
Ordnance officers OF this country for
the past fifteen or twenty years have
been in possession of n safe torpedo
shell that could destroy any ship at any
range within tho limit liked by visual
and other conditions. but, nctwithstand-
Ing this. such shells have not been
adopted for the service. and our ships
have not been constructed either 60 en-
ploy them or Gneet the change that
would result TX other navics adopted
them"
Admiral Strauss, in the course
'tf his testimony contradicting Isham'a
charges. declared Ishnm's pet statement
Was that ADMIRAL Twining, Strauss
predecessor ms chief of ordnance. was
owned body and soul by the steel
trust"
Senator oGorman wanted to- know
.x.h m xzy 20 80 IoL 80
Strauss replied that officers from the
Bureau OF Ordnance and the Bureau OF
Construction and Repair. and from the
Norfolk Navy Yard were present.
letter from Secretary OF the Navy
Daniels stated that 1t was the Intention
OF the secretary to appoint q special
commission to investigate and report
upon tho merits OF the Isham she'll