Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-10-08
BATTLE CRUISERS
FOR j. S. TO Be HUGE
VIII Exceed in Size and Speed
Greatest Warships of Class in
COST MAY EXCEED DREADNAUCHT
Plaus for Contemplated Additions to
Navy Already Prepared Under
Rear Admiral Taylor's
Direction.

Secretary Daniels has made il plain
that the navy building program now in
coure of preparation. will include at
least two uper-dreadnaughts TO cost
s1S.000.000 each.
We have learned nothing from the
European war;" the Secretary said.
that shakes our faith in these heavily
armored ships as the main fighting line
Of the navy" He would not indicate
whether or not more than two battle
ships would be asked for or how many
battle cruisers his estimates would in
clude. The number of ships of each
class TO he recommended, he said, had
not been finally decided.
The Secretary viii see President viii
son again during the week, and ex-
poets TO complete his estimates a week
from today. While the general charac-
teristics of the battle cruisers to be rec
commended by the Secretary of the Navy
have been considered by the Navy Cen
eral Board. the plans have not left the
boards hands. officers familiar with
the European ships of that class. how
ever, believe the first United States
battle cruiser will exceed in size and
speed anything now afloat.
The Tiger. of the British navy, is the
! largest battle cruiser in commission
she displaces $4,000 tons and has a
speed of 30 knots an hour. 1t is deem
ed certain that the United States ships
will go well over 10000 tons and equal
30 knots an hour. Whether or not it is
planed to arm the ships with the navy
l6-inch rifles has not ben disclosed.
The European cruisers carry from six
TO eight heavy guns, usually 12-inch
weapons. United States dreadnaughts
now are armed with 14-inch rifles. but
the navy gun factory has produced
i6-inch weapon of which no use has
as yet been made.
If the battle cruisers equal the new
est dreadnaughts in size displacing
$4,000 tons, it is possible they will car
~ eight 16-inch rifles. the same main
battery carried on the battloships In
cost the battle cruisers probably will
exceed dreadnaughts. To attain the
high speed required they must be equip
cd with larger engines. 1t is estima-
ted that machinery costs 80 cents per
pound. for armor, so there would be an
additional expense instead Of a saving
in the facts that the ships will carry no
heavy side armor.
The task of calculating weights to
bring the vessel within the required
tonnage is an enormous one. Navy con
structors, however, take pride in the
fact that no vessel designed by the
department has shown overweight for
twelve years. The British dreadnaught,
first of the all big-gun ships built by
the navy was designated to displace
300 tons. 1t is known, authorita-
lively. that it was more than 5000 tons
overweight when commissioned.
Battle cruisers have not been recon-
mended by the General Board, except
once, some years ago. Plans have
been considered for such ships every
year, however, and tentative designs
prepared Many officers now feel that
with bids advertised for the forty
fourth battleship of the navy. it is time
that swift. heavily armored cruisers
were added to the fleet aside from any
lessons from the European war. The
mission" of the navy as it is discussed
in Navy War College problems, always
has been regarded as defense of the
United States.
Lacking a merchant marine of any
size. it has been deemed unnecessary to
provide expensive high-speed craft at
the cost of the main line of the fleets,
the dreadnaughts. With efforts being
made to foster the merchant marine.
however. and with the Monroe doctrine
to uphold, and the Panama Canal to
| defend, these officers feel that the time
has come when the navy should be
given the same tools to fight with that
| possible enemies may have. Recent
maneuvers, it is said. have brought out
sharply the need of both swift scouts
and fighting ships. Plans for such
| vessels as are contemplated already
have been prepared under the direction
of Rear Admiral David w. Taylor, the
| chief constructor of the navy.