The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-09-24
Srt,n1bnrines and Battleships

"NVe ought to build more submarines, principal
sea-gong submarines, many as we can and
as quickly as we can, and we ought at once to
start training officers and crews to man these
submarines when they are ready" declares Con
gressJnan Augustus P, Gardner OF Massachusetts
in this months number of the North American
Review in an article by him entitled, "lf / were
Caesar"
Continuing Mr. Gardner says: Where these
officers and men are to come from have no idea,
for we are more than eighteen thousand men and
more than nine hundred officers short Of the full
compliment for present feet However, the
thing has got to be done, if we have to rele-
gate Temporarily some more second line battle
ships to cold storage or reserve as it is euphem
istically called. .'.-
"In the last four years congress has appropri-
ated money to build thirty-eight more submarines.
About half of them are now under way, and four
OF them authorized in August 1912 are nearly
completed Only three of the entire thirty Eight
are to be OF the fast sea-going type.
"The upshot of it all appears to be that up to
the present time, ii has taken three years and
often longer to complete a submarine after con-
gress has voted to build it. II we want vessels
in hurry we have got to pay big premiums for
Submarines have been built for the British gov
eminent since the European war broke out No
doubt we too could do as much.
!, s1fF there were any possible way of building
battle cruisers and scouts rapidly would include
them az being of the very highest Importance in
my emergency program.
- II believe that ought to be absolutely safe
against any nation on earth-not excepting Great
Britain, but including Great Britain. In the, Eu4
ropean war my sympathies are entirely with the
Allies Nevertheless do not propose, if | can
help it, that the United States shSf be at fheS
mercy of any nation on earth, and Il shall never
subscribe to the doctrine that it is unnecessary
to take Great Britain into account in our naval
estimates" 80 "''"'", '....@'
The battle cruiser" says Mr.. Gardner, "is a
capital ship, as heavy fighting vessels are called
Many amateur strategsts think that the days OF
the great capital ships, the dreadnoughts and
the battle cruisers, numbered, and that the
submarine is autocrat. Admitting, as | do that
the submarine is in it's infancy and fully realizing
that it is already an admirable defensive weapon.
cannot concede that it has demonstrated it's
ability to command the seas. When British ships
instead of German are refugees in New York
harbor, than | shall know that the British battle
cruiser and the British dreadnought have given
way to the German submarine as mistress of the
wave. But as long as British commerce on the
high sea is practically undmnshed so long as
the letter mail in Boston is regularly delivered
in London, SO long British transports continue
to pour hundreds of thousands of British troops
into France, so long the world admits that
'erInan invasion of England is an irrideScent
dream just so long shall continue to believe in
the battle cruiser and the dreadnought"
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