The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1914-12-28
ENGLAND TO INCREASE
HER SEA SUPREMACY
VIII Add Fifteen More Dread
naughtS to Navy by End of
Coming Year.
By P. NJ. SARL.

LONDON, Dec. l5.-tBv mail to New
foriIl.-Thc claims Of the first lord
OF the admiralty. Winston Churchill.
that England will have. fifteen more
dreadnaughts ready for action before
the end of next year is no idle boast.
In fact, according to naval experts, it
is an Undcrstatement by at least two
ships.
Since the outbreak of the war the
British censor has rigidly suppressed
the publication of anything concern
ing the building, launching or com
nissioning of warships. but. without
breach of confidence, IL is possible to
compile a fairly accurate list OF Eng
lands re-enforcemCnts from admiralty
data already made public.
When war was declared England ial
n commission twenty eight dread
nsught battleships, and battle cruis-
erS, not counting the Lord Nelson and
Agamemnon, which, although nearly
as powerful, they mount four 12-inch
and ten 8 2-10-inch guns apiece, are
reckoned as pre-dreadnaughts.
Two Forcibly Acquired.
Building OF refltting. England had
thirteen ironclad monsters on August
4, and another four just laid down.
These vessels were REINFORCED by the
purchase Of two battleships building
in England for Chile and the forcible
acquisition of two building for Tur-
key Work at the shipyards is pro-
ceeding so feveriShly that the four
battleships of the 1914 program may
he completed before the end OF tn.
war, but Churchill does not reckon
them in his estimate Ct ships ready
next year. It win be seen then. that
he has seventeen vessels. including
the Turkish and Chilean acquisitions
OF these FIVE, the Emperor OF India.
the Benbow. Queen Elizabeth, and
Warsprite and the S9,000-ton thirty
knot battle cruiser Tiaer. were
launched over a year ago and have
almost certainly been commissioned
since the outbreak OF hostilitics. Two |
are known to have put to sea.
Have Put to Sea-
OF the others. the Valiant, Earham, |
Malays. Royal Sovereign, Royal Oak |
Resolution, Families, and Revenge
were laid down just over a year ago |
and some, If not all. must have been
launched by now. The same applies |
TO the Turkish dreadnaughts Birinje |
Osman and Reshadieh and the Chill |
can Alu1irante Latorre (noW named |
Canada. Considerable progress has
been made on the Turkish vessels aud |
II was only Turkeys lack of money /
that hindercd their completion. Once /
tsuSI6nd look IheT1 over. this draw l
back disappeared and durinS the four |
months Of the war the work of com 4
pletion has been pushed forward.
The i've Queen Elizabeths and five
Royal Severeigns are armed with eight /
or the new l5-inch guns and will be able I
TO IRE the most tremendous broadsides 1
OF any vessels afloat.
Germany's Naval Outlook.
The Germans have a l5-inch. gun but,
according 10 the admiraltys latest in
formation, they viii be unable to mount |
any on ships completing next year. OF
Germanys eleven dreadnaughts and |
battle cruisers building at the outbreak
OF hostllitieS, five, the hoenig Mark
grad Grosser Kurfurst DerfflinEer. and
Iutzow. were launched in 1913. and the
nrst four are almost certainly in COM
mission or nearing completion now. On
the Others only the kronprinz launch
Cd February, 1873 can be ready within
a reasonable time. Moreover all those
mentioned are only armed with Pinch
guns, unless a last moment change is
made IN their construction.
Austria has but two dreadnaughts
nearing completion. while France has
seven. of which three are probably in
commission now, or should be shortly; !
Japan, seven fthree probably ready for
commissioning early next year, and
Russia eleven. The notorious slowness
OF the Russia ship yards. however. will
Probably prevent the early commission
ing Of any of the last mentioned.