The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-12-16

the submarines and of how he had
tried 10 remedy the condition by a lef.
ter on November &c. making recon.
mendauons to the navy department,
which were turned down.
should Have Submarines
Commander Stirling said the navy
now had % modern Destroyer, and he
believed there should be eight seaEoinR
a fleet
We should have a submarine fotiIla
many destroyers as my probable oppo-
nent and the same as TO submarinss .
Inc largest submarine in the navy.
ne said. going at three knots an hour.
could 20 sixty miles under water 4
new submarine about TO go into COM
mission could not go much more
Representative Hobson asked I'm effect
II there was any really adequate de-
ienss OF the country against a great
Not against a military nation that
mas standing army and willing TO
s s,is's me risk or Invasion temporary
INVASION. replied the officer.
COMMANDER Stirling said he could
not conceive OF any time when the sub
marine would be able alone TO control
commerce.
In view OF the wide field in the
OF bsttleship should be built here
Has Conflicting Opinion.
Tn afraid ia be running against
the opinion OF the general board he
replied. The ultimate development ~
the battleship IL TO make a more Of
fensiVe rather than defcnsiVe-to shed
IL armor as much az possible iocaIiz-
ing the effect OF possible shell AR. and
so as to stand on an enemy al a range
where the enemy's guns might not
AS 10 the future type OF submarine
queried Mr.. HObson.
The general board has been making
that study. When I was at the naval
college n "a Int oil
and some Of VI had an idea OF a future
armored submarine OF 1000 tons dis
placement. 20 knot speed. ACCOMPANY
ing the fleet wherever IL went. a pow
erful weapon the battleships would be
very much afraid OF. Experiments
that Is the natural trend OF submarine
devclopment-nOt TO the small defen-
siye type, but to the large type 70 light
tor control OF the sea along with the
Commander Stirling told the com
mittee the navy had 81 submarines al
building aud more authorized. oxclu-
siye OF the eight or more to be autho-
rized In the pending bill.
Rive In Good shape.
All OF the boats. he said. were
equipped with torpedOes. good for from
1--WE submarines AZ Colon a. ready for
any emergency. TO take offensive ac-
tion BY soing out after any enemy.s
canal The torpedoes ON the i've were
not Of the best" he added. "and tho
submarines we're old boats. but would
do very good work. The navy. be said.
was preparing TO manufacture other
torpedocs with p superior body for the
submarines a. the canal.
or four cable submarines AZ the New
York navy yard. the officer said. two
had been put In fairly good shape by
the contractors.
'If IL IS true that there are only two
commissioned submarines on the Pacific
coast. do you consider the Pacific coast
proper tionstely a. well protected az the
Atlantic asked Representative ste
phcus
Protected against whatT'
=. against any nation attacking us On
time Of war"
II DO not think any nation on tho Pa
cihc coast would attack that coast with
out trat reckoning with our nect I'm.
less % might be 90 attack the Panama
canal" the officer replied m the Pam
anna canal were keTt open. and q think
Do could De free and uuobatructed DO w..
put enough dcfenres and enough mobile
arm. which We haven't now. the neff
~ time"