The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1914-05-07
The AMERICAN
NAVY OF TODAY

Never was thefa ASSEM- Dltd lor UI
fensive purposes in the whole naval
history of the world a fleet = : power
full rs that which the president or
dered to Mexican waters. and iris
is true whether ii refers to the fleet
as a whole o. to individual ships.
While much has been said about
the inpdequacy Of our navy 10 our
needs of defense, this must be un-
derstood 10 apply only to the num-
ber of ships aud auXiliarles. Hnd
not at I'll TO the character OF
the individual ships. In the strengI b
and fighting power OF indlvldua
battleships, we lead the naNies of
the world Our naval designers
have kept at the head Of neval CON
struction. AS fast rs other coun-
tries have come up to us in slZe,
armament and armor of ships, our
desi igners have laid down SUI larger
ones. with more and heavier gans.
The building of big slips began
Immediately after the japanese, by
sinking the Russian fleet. proved
the value. of superior gun power
England Immediately laid down the
first all-bis-gun slip, and named il
the "Drea dnaught." by that act
she practically sent to tie scrap
heap the navies OF the entire world,
including her own. and destroyed 1T
once her own dominating supremacy
at sea.
Up to that time the largest num-
Der of big guns carried by any ship
fssg, h
though Il few had 13-iDch. as have
several of ours The Drea dnan gil
mounted 10 12-inch guns. which
gave her two and one-half times
the g.n power of any other snip. Size
also had a displacement Of lS,900
tons. which was 300 tons larger
than our then latest and finest ship,
The New Hampshire.
TIE magnificent fleet We had
just sent around the world To show
our strength WAS Immediately rend-
ared obsolete, and We, in common
with other powers, began at once
to build up p new navy on ;re
dreadnaught principle Of all big
guns.
We Immediately jumped 70 the
front rs to quality of ships in this
new race for naval strength. Snd
when every nation sent ships to ,lA
coronation ceremonies at London,
'tA United States >wys represented
by tie Della ware, at Gtpt tine The
most powerful fighting machine in
the world Sire carried ire same
number and size of guns as The
Dreadna ught. but Was 100 tons
larger and had heavier armor, 5
well rs other IMPROVEMENTS.
Other nations Immediately began
to build ships Ike The Delaw"' -,
and even p few tons largei, but -
naval constructors Of lie tn ID
States again SGT the p9ce by laN'ng
down slips of rs 5000 tons Of 4"
class now known as 'superdread-
nauehts." Wien other nations fol-
lowed suit in tais, We forged tp the
front again by mounting heavier
guns.
Our latest additions are tie THXas
md New York. the latter put into
commission this week, which have -
displacement of 27,000 tons and
mount 10 14-inch guns. Ne other
navy ship now in commission in
any navy in the world equals IN size
and caliber of guns these two huge
bart leships, which viii become part
If the fleet in Mexican waters.
But this is not the limit of cur ad-
vance. TIE Okla hOma which WIS
rceenfly launched and viii be ready
for service in few months, has .
displacement Of 2I,500 tons and will
modnt . instead of 10 of the IA
inch guns. Nor is this the md
Still largar ships are under construc-
zion. and larger ones yet 4re being
designed for those authorized 1t b@
present session OF congress-
Louis Star