Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-05
NATION BEING ouTsTRiPPED ~
BOTH GREAT BRITAIN AND
GERMANY.
JAPAN cRowo,Me CLOSE.
ALL CONDITIONS CONSIDERED
Great Britain to Add Fifteen New
Dreadnaushts During Next Year
Germany Rushing to Completion All
Ships Building in Yards Along KieI
Canal.
Especial Correspondence


Washington. Dec. 5.-Announcemen
Of Winston Spencer Churchill. first
lord of the British admiralty, that NJ
teen new dreadnaughts will DO added
to the British navy next year, calls at
tention to the rapidly with which the
United States is being left behind in
the matter Of naval supremacy.
1t is well realized by navy officers
here that not alone Great Britain 10
leaving the United States farther than
ever in the rear as q naval power but
that Germany also Is getting farther
and farther ahead Of this country.
In the struggle for supremacy IN
Europe at least two Of the powers there
are increasing their navies so rapidly
that this country is getting almost
hopelessly distanced. When the pres.
ent war opened, OF course, England was
far ahead OF the United States in q
naval way. Germany. too, was ahead
and France not far behind America.
Now, both England and Germany have
outdistanced US more than ever. What
France is doing In a naval way has
been little discussed and 1t IL probable
most OF her activity is devoted to her
army rather than to her navy. When
the ships now building in japan are
completed she Will be close up to the
United States and when II Is cOnsSd-
cred that in the event Of war all her
strength could be kept in the Pacific
while this nation would have to keep
an eye on the Atlantic also 1t u fair
to say that the empire OF Nippon u
practically abreast Of the United States
in naval preparedness.
Senator Tiliman, chairman 1t the
senate naval committee. recently ex-
pressed the view tho American navy
could defeat any navy but that Of Eng
land. This Is not the view Of some
OF the best naval experts, who poiN out
that the paper strength Of Germany
was greater than ours when the war
opened and that the building up OF
her navy has since been wonderfully
accelerated. Every reason exists for
the belief that in the shlpysres In the
KiA canal region ana SAFE under ths
guns Of the German forts on ths North
Sea there IS feverfsh activity In the
completion Of naval vessels OF t,1e most
up-to-dat types. from drsadnasghta
to submarines.
II is. OF course. true that the English
and German navies are undergoing
some losses but their fleets are being
built up faster than they are depleted.
Moreover. most Of the vessels de-
stroyed have been elements OF minor
Importance in the respective navies.
The advancement Of the foreign
navies will unquestionably be dis.
cussed freely In congress this winter
when the naval bill is considered
Seldom, indeed. has congress taken
hold of either the navy or the army
situation with any grasp or intelu-
gence. The average member knows
little or nothing on either the army OF
ths navy and Is not qualified to discuss
t. But members will give more care
winter than they have given for manJ
years.
v. s. Ships Slow.
Probabilities are that congress VII
give consideration in connection Will
the naval bill to good deal more thar
the question of tonnage Merits o.
navies are not measured by relative
tonnage. Comparative tables Of nava
STATISTICS snow tHdl tho CHiteN St"'s
is falling behind England. German!
and Japan in the speed Of naval yes
sells. Furthermore. there Is reason t
believe this country's naval ordinance
policy Is tagging behind and is not vi
T! to the highest developments OF some o.
the other powers.
Most Of the dreadnaughts OF thu
United States are Of ccmparativel!
sloH speed. They range from seventeen