Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-09-14
BRITAIN'S SEA
STRENGTHEQUALs
THAT OF ENEMY

~ ptGlduHt put CtfN Id hcNtI
put an armed vessel on the river.
Austria, on the other hand, has long
maintained fOtilla on the upper Dan
ube, and within the last two years
since the last two Balkan wars re-
vealed Servia's military strength-she
has increased her naval forces on the
river. .=.... i. -. =.
She has in commission on the Dan
ube six little monitors and two more
building. None of them amount to
much in fighting value as against 9th
er ships, but on the Danube and
against shore batteries or field artil-
lery they will prove formidable. Aus
tria also has eight motor patrol
launches, with machine gun in each
on the Danube. In ...:-... F..
As Belgrade is situated directly on
the river and has no batteries that
could effectively resist even this little
navy, the fOtilla would be ample to
capture Belgrade single handed. The
aotiIla, moreover, would have no diff
Guilty in covering a landing for an in
vading army. ..:*. r.: ......
When it comes to comparison of
the navies of the Triple Alliance and
the Triple Entente, the figures come
much nearer to balance.
In the Triple Alliance the most for
midable naval power is Germany. The
German feet has been making rapid
strides in the last few years and can
send to sea seventeen battleships or
battle-cruisers of the Dreadnought
class. She has eleven more on the way
but are not now available. .>..
Her Second Line.
Besides this first feet, Germany can
twenty other battleships, all built in
the last twenty years. Many of these,
however, need not be taken seriously.
In the first place they are not all by
any means in full commission, and
there is no doubt that it would take
weeks of hard work, at least, to get
them all ready for sea.
In the second place, until less than
ten years ago Germany maintained the
remarkable policy of arming none of
her ships with guns of more than nine
inch caliber, and all these ships belong
to that period. Sending them into ac-
tion with modern dreadnoughts, with
II and 13.5-ineh rifles, would be pure
slaughter.
The second naval power of the Triple
Alliance is Italy. She can send out a
powerful and homogeneous squadron of
four dreadnoughts, which, designed as
they are by the man who is conceded
to be the ablest warship designer now
living, will have to be reckoned with
in any sea fight. She has two more fine
ships on the ways, but not within
months Of commissioning.
With this one contribution, however,
Italyss bolt is shot. She has eight old
battleships, which although probably,
gun for gun, better ships than Ger
nlany's twenty old ships, are open to
much the same criticism.
Austria, numerically, is stronger
than Italy in fighting ships, but their
quality is not comparable. She can
bring into action two ships of the
dreadnought class and three others,
which, although older, smaller and
slower, wouldn t compare unfavorably
with the United States Connecticut
class. Besides these she has three
more which class with Germany's and
1taly's secondary line. All her feet is
in full commission.
England's Mighty Fleet.
Against these three fleets, for the
Triple Entente the backbone, if not
the entire opposing force, is in Eng
lands great war feet. England has
now at sea and ready for action, thirty
battleships of the dreadnought or
super-dreadnought type, besides ten
others which, like the Lord Nelson and
Agamemnon, class but little below the
dreadnought rating.
The ships carry four 12-inch guns;
therefore they are classed below the
dreadnoughts. But they carry no less
than ten 90 inch, which make them far
superior to any other battleship not
of dreadnought rating now afoat. And
that is aside from the fact that the
British 90 inch is gun of terrible
effectiveness but family Swallowed
forth in figures.
Besides England has thirty-eight
smaller and older battleships, which
outclass the 20 older ships of Ger
many. OF armored cruisers, England
mas SlAIeeu 10 UeEIHdLy bHitey ltdly o
four and Austria s none.
France, the second member of the
Entente, in battleships can show but
two dreadnonghts, but she has nine
ships of the Justice, st. Louis and SIM
liar classes, all worthy to be classed,
say, with the Connecticut, and twelve
old craft which could in emergency be
hauled out to the, firing line. France
has also fifteen armored cruisers, and
these, though perhaps not of tremend-
Gus fighting value, are really fine ships.
The Russian feet need hardly be
taken seriously, though she has four
battleships- paper-one of which
might be extricated from the dock yard
in time to fire shot at an enemy. This
brings the question down to the really
important basis of comparison-morale
training, discipline and fighting eff
cheney.
The German Discipline.
The German navy is wonderfully
efficient organization-in a typically
German way. There is no diseounting
the thoroughness with which the Ger
man fleet has been drilled, the faith
fulness that has gone into its prepare.
tion, from driving the first riNet in
each vessel s keel to the training of the