The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-10-13

cruisers now projected will be able
to serve as scouts, although that
will not be the primary function
of these units.
The idea of experts of the navy is
that there should be not less than a
division of battle cruisers, and that it
should be attached to the Atlantic
battleship fleet. They would be
utilized by the fleet in overtaking
battleships of the enemy endeavoring
to escape from or trying to e)ude the
fleet, also in scouting to discover the
presence of the enemy's fleet and in
attacking vessels of the greatest pow
er whenever taken by the superior
speed of the battle cruisers.
The battle cruisers for which pre-
liminary plans have been proposed
for the navy will be dreadnoughts in
reality, as they may be classes of bat
tleships Of superior speed. As eX-
plained by one of the navy's experts,
a batfle cruiser is vessel that has
jnst a few less big guns, and just a
little lighter armor than battleships,
the sacrifices of both Of which are
compensated for. by their great speed.
Speed is an element which the Ameri-
can Navy lacks. It's battleships are
as fast as battleships generally
around the world, but there is no
large vessel in the navy that can now
compare with the battle cruisers Of
England, Germany, and Japan in
speed
While it has been agreed that the
American navy to be brought abreast
to other navies Of first rank must
have swift battle cruisers Of the type
that has proved its effectiveness III
the war in Europe, no decision has
been reached that is ready for an
nouncement as to the number of ad-
ditional units of various types to be
embraced in the building program OF
1867, which is to be submitted tc
congress this winter. After the con-
ference at the White House Secretary
Daniels said that the naval program
had not been completed and that he
was not ready to make announcement
of the increases to be recommended
to congress.
aIr. Daniels intimated, however
that building program for the sub.
marine flotilla would be urged that
would make possible an inner-line OF
defense along both coasts to be mair.
tanned by submersibles operating
from bases established at necessary
intervals on boeh the Atlantic and
Pacific shore lines.
The secretary said that recently
when submarines were at the height
of their activity in the European war
the pendulum of public opinion had
swung too far in favor Of subma.
rines, and that the tendency now
would be to swing it too far the other
way. The navy plans, he declared
would not make either error. He add
ed that the value of submersible fol
defense of the wide reaches of coast
line on both shores could hardly be
overestimated.
1t is understood that the president
cautioned Secretary Daniels and
Chairman Padgett against making
premature announcement as tc the
naval program, explaining that botl
the army and navy defense programs
must be subject to alteration until
after the administration had consid
cred the program Of reform for the
development Of the army and the
financial devices to be resorted to BY
the government to raise the necessary
funds to pay for the additional ap.
propriations for national. defense.
A battle cruiser-such as proposed
in our new naval program-plough'
ing her way through the waters al
thirty-fve knots an hour, if it were
possible to keep up that speed, would
make the passage from the Ambrose
Channel Lightship to Queenstown
the course over which the STEAMSHIP,
Mauretania made her record of days
10 hours and Il minutes, in approx.
mately days and 8 hours. The dis
tance between these points is esti.
mated at 2,S14 knots, or nautica
miles. The fastest days run by the
Mauretania was at the rate of 27.04
knots.
This comparison was pointed out
to illustrate the value Of the navy o.
great battle cruiser which could be
shifted from point to point, either
along the coast or in transatlantic
travel, at such pace. There is nc
record of a ship which could hope to
accomplish such record run or cope
with such foe.
At 35 knots an hour battle cruis.
er could be transferred from New
York to New Orleans on coast patrol
duty, a distance of approximately
LOO knots, in 4S hours and 35 min.
utes, feat which has never been &C
complished or thought possible, GER
tainly not for an armored battle
cruiser Carrying huge 14-inch guns
To make the run in somewhat under
five days is considered good time by
most of the coastwise passenge.
ships.
Charleston, S. c., is 491 knots from
New York. The battle cruiser could
be sent there in fourteen hours. if the
speed were at 35 knots. An hour and
twenty minutes later she would be Of:
Savannah, Ga. The total run from
New York to Jacksonville, Fla, a dis
tance of 653 knots, would require
just under Is hours and 40 minutes
less than ten hours would see the
cruiser off Miami, Fla.
The distance by knots between
New York and some of the more i'm
portant points on the route to New
Orleans are as follows: Norfolk, Va.
244; Diamond Shoal Lightship (off
Hatteras), $50; Brunswick, Ga, 500;