The Washington herald., 1914-10-04
ALLIES TOSTRIKE
At KRlJPP WORKS
If Germany Is Invaded She
VIII Risk All to Protect
Gun Factory.
NAVY YARDS ARE BUSY
Kaiser Probably Is Keeping Fleet Bot
tied Up Until New Dreadnoughts
Are Ready.
Iry PHILLIP EVERETT.

ny PHILLIP EVERDTF.
Special csbls 10 ne washiaEton Herald.
London. Oct. 4-Essen, and not Berlin,
Is the city the allies would gain most by
capturing. This Is because the German
army and navy is largely dependent on
the Rrupp works. II Germany is in
vaded would not be surprised to see
the French and British armies strike at
Essen in an effort TO cripple Germany's
gun supply system. This is . weak spot
In Germany's arrangements.
The navy as well as the army, is large
ly dependent on the Krupps. This IL
a factor to be considered in the strenu-
Gus efforts the German admiralty is now
making with q view to bringing the Ger
man neet on something like parity with
the allies.
Just at present beth Germany and
Great Britain are pushing their ship
yards to the limit II Is generally be-
lieved that the German feet is waiting
for new vessels before coming out Of the
harbors to attack the British fleet in the
North Sea
Their New warshIps.
In regard to battleships, the next ves-
sells to be added to the German navy are
the three Of the 1911 program. the Ronig.
Markgraf and Grosser Rurfurst They
are understood to be fitting out at Will
helmshaven doclyard, the weser yard,
Bremen and the Vulcan yard, and Ham
burg. respectively. They were all launch
ed during 1913. the Konig on March l. the
Markgraf on June and the Grosser
Kurfurst on Nav s
The three battleships referred to are
now due for commissioning. and may be
already under the pennant The next to
follow them will be the Rronprinz, the
only battleship Of the 1872 program. which
was launched on February q last. and
was due to join the fleet next summer.
With a little speeding up, however. II
might be possible TO take three or four
months on her building period. in which
case Germany could add by next spring
four new Dreadnaught battleships to the
thirteen she had in commission before
the war broke out.
In the same annual program as the
four battleships mentioned are the two
battle cruisers Derfiingsr Q9lD and
Leutzov Cls1D. The former was launched
on July !. 1913, al the Blohm and Voss
yard, Hamburg, and is now probably in
service. The latter was launched on No
vember . last at the Schichau yard. Dan
zig, and il seems likely that efforts will
be made 10 get her completed before the
end Of the present year.
There is a chance, OF course. that the
Russians may interfere with shipbuild-
ing at Danzig and EIbing in pushing
their armies into East Prussia. Another
battle-cruiser is the Salamis. which was
laid down by the Vulvan Company IN
January 1913 for the Greek navy. This
vessel had not been launched at the end
OF July. She was to have received an
American armament of eight 4-inch
guns, manufactured by the Bethlehem
Steel Company, but IL is doubtful II they
have been delivered
Turning to light cruisers. IL IL this
class which has been most affected by
such. operations Of the war as have yet
taken place. The Magdeburg. Mainz,
Koln and Ariadne have been destroyed IN
addition 10 which nine others are being
hunted down outside European waters
and are consequently not available for
service in the North Sea. OF the six on
hand, the Graudenz and Regensburg. be-
longing TO the 1872 program, were launch
ed in October and April last. respective
ly. andl should be in commission by the
end Of the year. but the other four can
not be delivered until the end of 1878
Strong I'm Torpedo Craft.
II is in regard to torpedo craft. both de-
stroyers and submarines, that Germany
probably will be able to strengthen her
feet materially and rapidly. There were
in hand at least a score of destroyers and
the same number OF submarines when
war broke out. a large number Of which
may have since been completed. II II
has been determined to concentrate the
energies of the German yards upon tor
pedo craft construction. as may well be
the case, the output monthly may be con-
siderable. There are four yards IN Ger
many which have been practiced in the
building of torpedo vessels, and before
the war the period Of construction at
these yards was on an average from ten
to eighteen months. As they built for
foreign governments as well, their full
capacity is probably three or four times
the twelve destroyers and six suona-
rines provided for annually under the
German navy law. Yards which have
not been mainly employed In torpedo
craft construction can in an emergency
undertake such work. and no doubt II
II is considered desirable at least twelve
yards in Germany may at the present
time be engaged in this branch OF naval
construction
The weak spot in Germany's arrange
ments for warship construction Is IN
disputably the Krupp monopoly. When
some years ago Count Won Reventlow
made inquiry into the resources Of the
country for rapid construction several Of
the yards made their estimates Of out
put conditional on the prompt delivery
by Krupp Of the srmor and armament.
In spite Of the enormous additffls made
In recent years to the works Of the great
firm at Essen, II Is certain that II seri-
Gus proposal has been made TO increase
the annual shipbuilding its capacity will
be strained to the utmost