The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1914-11-12
GREAT BR|TA|N'S
MIGHTY FLEET
BEST IN WORLD
Her Own Navy Practically Equals
Those of the Nations in tie
Triple Alliance.
GERMAN FLEET FORMIDABLE
kalser's Seamen Under Remarkable
Discipline, While Those of Other
Continental Powers Are Slack,
Though Good Fighters.

ContlnenaI Powers arc oiaCNr
Though Good Fighters
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 II battleships or battle
cruisers of the dreadnaught class.
She has IL 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 IL and 1876 inch rifles, would be
pure slaughter.
ItaIy's Sea Strength.
The second naval power of the
triple alliance is Italy. She can send
out q powerful and homogeneous
squadron of four dreadnaughts, which,
designed as they were by the man
who Is conceded to be the ablest 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, Italy's bolt is shot. She has
eight old battleships, which, although
probably, gun for gun, better ships
than Germany's 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
dreadnaught 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 Germanys and |
Italy's secondary line. All her fleet
is in full commission.
EngIand's Mighty Fleet
Against these three fleets. for the
triple entente the backbone, II not
the entire opposing force,
is In England's great war feet. Eng
land has now at sea and ready for
action, 30 battleships Of the dread
naught or superdreadnaught type, be-
sides ten others which. like the Lord
Nelson and Agamemnon class but lit
tie below the dreadnaught rating.
The ships carry four 12-inch guns;
therefore they are classed below the
1readnaughts. But they carry no less
han ten 92-inch, which makes them
ar superior to any other battleship
lot of dreadnaught rating now afoat.
And that is aside from the fact that
he British 9.2-inch is gun of terri
ole effectiveness, but family Swallowed
orth In figures.
Besides, England has 38 smaller and
,lder battleships, which outclass the
20 older ships of Germany. OF ar
nored cruisers, England has 16 to
1ermany's three, Italy's four and Aus
ria's none
H. ,hnr- f,f fha
ntente, in battleships can show but
wo dreadnaughts, but she has nine
hips of the Justice, ST. Louis and
imilar classes, all worthy to be
lassed, say, with the Connecticut,
nd IL old craft which could, In emer-
ency, be hauled out to the firing
me. France has also Is armored
and these, though perhaps
OF of tremendous fighting value, are
eally fine ships.
The Russian fleet need hardly be
AIKEN seriously, though she has four
paper-one Of which
light be extricated from the dock
ard in time to fire a shot at an
nemy This brings the question down
!, the really important basis Of COM +
training, discipline y
nd fighting efficiency. !,
German Discipline. :,
The German navy is wonderfully :,
ficient organization-in a typically ;,
erman way There Is no discounting ;,
lie thcroughness with which the Ger
an feet has been drilled, the faith
lyiess that has gone into its prepara-
On, from driving the first rivet in
4ch vessels keel to the training of :,
e turretpointers and the drill at :,
In squadron.
The faithfulness is apt to produce :
provided the enemy doesn't :.
oduce some maneuver that wasn't G
the tactical text books.