The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-27

BY Frederic , Haslin


+ The. Importance OF this dominance
ot the seas Is pointed out by the ex
perts when they say that. 1f the can
.tra1 nations should defeat Russia an0
France and a their Continental enc
mics, they would sim be blocked OK
from world commerce. and would SUI
fer more from q continue lion OF the
struggle than would Great Britain
Only big ships would bring them re-
lisk.
The fighting between ships of the
nay1es Of the warT1ns nations has
been chiefly among thetsmaller units
the cruisers. In all Of those contests
the victory has been won by the yes
sci that carried the biggest guns. The
,six-inch gun has dominated the four
inch and has In turn gone down be-
fore that of larger cal;ber. Speed
has proved itself or Importance chief
~ In running away and the results, or,
the war would indicate that it was
OF less importance than was preyt
5ously thought It is not OF great OF
fensfve value.
Biggest Guns Survive.
AS far back as 1903 the General
Board of Navy recommended that q
continuing plan OF construction be
adopted that would produce, by lSl9.
a battIeship feet of forty eight big
ships and smaller craft in proportion
beginning at that time 1t would have.
been necessary to build two big ships
each year to accomplish that end.
Congress failed to keep pace with this
plan. It appropriated some years tor
two battleshjps and some years for
one.
The General Board still held that
its plan to look to the future and pro-
vide navy ia given size at time
was the correct one. 1t therefore
recommended the building of an addi-.
tional ship on years following PROV
sion for laying down but one. So It
came to ask for as manyas four ships
in year. At present the building
plan of the experts is behind by the
matter of eight ships. There are now
thirty-two battleships in the first line.
1t would be necessary, that the plan
OF fofty-esght s.lips in 1919 be real
lied, that battIeship production be
very materially speeded' up.
Holds to Same Idea.
The General Board mas made the.
same Recommendation each year since
1903. Its membership has changed
over and over again, its guiding gen
fuses have Come and gone, secretaries,
administrations, parties, have assumed
authority and given it up. But the
General Board, the official expert body
to whom the task OF determining the
size OF navy needed is delegated, has
remained constant in its belief that
the plan laids down should be fol-
lowed.
Expert observers and naval attaches
abroad have exerted every energy to
learn the lessons OF the European
war and have reported In minute oes
tail to the home government the
bureau OF Intelligence OF the Navy De-
partment has operated sits clearing
houge The General Board has
weighed all facts that have been de-
Now The President has asked the
Secretary OF Navy to make to him a
report of the needs OF the Navy an
the face Of the Developments OF the
past year. The Secretary will rely
on his experts and those men VIII
repeat the advice that they have given
each year since 1903. There Is. they
will say, nothing in the present con.
f1ict that disproves the correctness Of
their old position The nation sno ~ =
have forty-eight battleships in 1913.
and the necessary auxiliaries to make
up well balanced feet.
The second element in well ball
anced feet, in the opinion OF the Gen
eral Board, is the destroyer. When
ever a battleship is put into commits
SION four destroyers should accom-
pany it. These are the scouts OF the
feet, the screens of the dreadnaughts.
They do the work that 10 performed
by battle cruisers in ste nav1es OF
Europe, for the American heet man
ages to get along without cruisers be-
cause they are not so nearly indls-;
pensable as are battleships or detroy-
ers and there is no money for trim
mings.
The United States now has building
a few great. sea-going submarines
that are believed to be the most ambi-
tfous machine of the kind IN the world.
The nation OF the west usually leaps 70
the ultimate OF the possibilities OF q
new development much quicker than
do European countries. In addition
nearly a score of coast defense sub
marines are now being built. These
are of a much smaller type and are
not intended to attempt the very dif-
ficult feat of operating with the deet.
View Is Unchanged.
The General Board has not changed
its view since 1t made its last official
declarat iin on the character of the
feet, which was as follows:
ssIn the matter OF battleships the
General Board remains of the opinion
that it has always held, that COM
mand OF the seas can only be gained
and held by vessels that can take and
keep the sea in all times and IN all
weathers. aud overcome the strongest
ENEMY vessels that may be brought
AGAINST them. Other types are valu-
abIe and have their particular uses,
ali Of which are indispe nsable, but
limited In character
The sea elephant uses IS trunk to
seize it's prey and to tarnsfer food to
III mouth just as does its brother
which roams the land.