Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1914-09-04
Her Own Navy Practically Equals
Those Of lie Nations in the
TrisIs Alliance.
GERMAN FLEET FORMIDABLE
Kaieer's 5eamen Under Remarkable
Discipline, While Those Of Other
Continental Powers Are Slack,
Though Good Fighters.

German fleet has been making rapiC
strides In the last few years and car
send to sea II battleships or battle
cruisers Of the dreadnaught class
She has l. more on the way, but not
now available.
Besides this first fleet. Germany
can still show a second line, in re-
serve, Of 20 other battleships, all
built in the last 20 years. Many of
these, however, need not be taken
seriously. In the first place, they are
not all, by any means, in full commits
sion, and there is no doubt that 1t
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 action with modern dreadnaughts,
with 10 and 1876 inch rifles, would be
pure slaughter.
Italy's Sea Strength.
The second naval power OF the
triple alliance is Italy. She can send
out a powerful and homogeneous
squadron of four dreadnaughts, which,
designed as they were by the man
who is conceded to be the abest war
ship 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 COM
missioning.
With this one contribution, how
ever. Italys bolt Is shot. She has
eight old battleships, which. although
probably, gun for gun, better ships |
than Germanys 20 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
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
Italy's secondary line. All her fleet
$ In full commission.
4. EngIands Mighty Fleet.
Against these three fleets, for the
ripple entente the backbone, If not
practically the entire opposing force,
$ in England's great war fleet. Eng
and has now at sea and ready for
Iction, 30 battleships of the dread
taught or superdreadnaught type, be-
ides ten others which, like the Lord I
Jelson and Agamemnon class but lit c
lie below the dreadnaught rating. 8
The ships carry four 12-inch guns; +
therefore, they are classed below the =
readnaughts But they carry no less
han ten 9,2-inch, which makes them
ar superior to any other battleship
OF of dreadnaught rating now atioat.
nd that is aside from the fact that t
he British 9.2-inch Is a gun of terri n
lie effectiveness, but family Swallowed k
,rth In figures. s
Besides, England has 3S smaller and
lder battleships. which outclass the
y |
lored cruisers. England has 10 to Is
ermany's three, Italy's four and Aus II
las none. "
France. the second member OF the di
ltente, In battleships can show but il
70 dreadnaughts. but she has nine nj
lips OF the Justice. ST. Louis and .,
milar classes, all worthy to be =,
assed, say, with the Connecticut,
Id IL old craft which could In emer- y"
,ncy. be hauled out to the firing ST
ne. France has also Is armored W
and these. though perhaps W
IT OF tremendous fighting value, are TO
ally fine ships. W.
The Russian feet need hardly be -,
ken seriously. though she has four
paper-one of which
light be extricated from the dock io'
lrd IN time to fire a shot at an u
emy. This brings the question down N
the really important basis Of com ~
training, discipline tei
d fighting efficiency
German Discipline
The German navy Is a wonderfully
icient organization-in a typically
rman way. There is no discountins
e thoroughness with which the Ger 20
IN feet has been drilled, the faith nj
ness that has gone into its prepare (al
n, from driving the first rivet In el
ch vessels keel TO the training of mo-
; turret-poiuters ard the drill at lar
In squadron.
The faithfulness is apt to produce
the enemy doesn't &c
,duce some maneuver that wasn't SIN
the tactical text books ocS
rhe Italian navy has almost none han
the SNOWY precision of discipline Of
the German. For one thing. their bee
ps are dirty compared TO the spot ne,
: decks bsneath the banner Of the :
hsfian3; for aaother, their drill