Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-04

1914. issued by direction of Congress. is
given in the following tables:
Relative order of present warship tom
mage:
Great Britain :. -. $50
,.efmahS :e.l ~
Relativ order when vessels now build
ing are completed:
Great Britain ...................c7t+ loS
Germany |. roi. ;.
France Observation-Disclosures. 500 81 :
United States Observation-Disclosures. S.a S.'I
The answer is more striking still if the
comparison is limited to dreadnaughts
This comparatively new type of ship un-
doubtedly is the deciding factor in modern
naval war SThe submarine proba bly, will
alter the conditions and strategy of naval
campaigns. but when fleets actually meet
it will be the dreadnaughts that will do
the smashing This monster, with its
batteries of great guns. more numerous
than once were mounted in fortresSes. is
the destroying angel of the sea.
Great Britain has twenty dreadnaughts
af1oat, and last autumn had sixteen build
ing. Germany has thirteen af1oat and
seven building. France has four afloat
and eight building. The United States
has eight afloat and four building and
three authorized.
This list is limited to such vessels as
the belligerent nations actually had laid
down in the normal course of their ship
building programs. 1t is known that they
have increased their construction i'm
mensely.
If the constant advice of the general
board Of the navy had been accepted by
Congress the United States fleet should
consist now of at least thirty-two first
class battleships and dreadnaughts, all
of a type fit for the first line.
This board, organized in obedience to
legislation by Congress, laid down naval
policy in 1908. All the successive MEM
bers of the board since then have ap-
proved it and reported to Congress in ac-
cordance with it. Congress never has
acted on it. In fact, the record of Con-
gress for the past twenty-five years shows
that never has the nation had a consistent
warship building program.
The 1890 Congress authorized the first
true battleships ever built by the United
States. These vessels. Indiana Massa-
chusetts and Oregon. were consistent
types, equal in tonnage. armament and
speed. 1t was a sound beginning.
Battleships were not experiment
Other navies had been building this type
for years, and It was established that it
was the only type of ship that would keep
a navy in the first rank. Yet the Con-
gress of 1891 authorized none, but ap-
Dropriated money instead for the Min
neapolis. a protected cruiser, whose
type had been practically replaced in other
navies by armored vessels.
The 1892 Congress permitted the con-
struction of the battleship Iowa, a good
vessel.
The Congress of 1893 and 1894 au-
thorized no battleships at all. Thus by
1895 the nation had gour first-class
battleships when it should have had.
af1oat and under construction, fifteen
ships equal to any then in commission.
The record of succeeding Congresses
was: 1895. two first-class battleships.
Kearsarge and Kentucky: 1896. three.
Ala bama, Illinois and Wisconsin: 1897,
none.
Therefore, in 1898, when the Spanish
American war began, instead of having
eighteen first-class battleshps af1oat
and six under construction, as would
have been the case had the various