The Oskaloosa herald., 1915-04-01
BY vicToR ELLIOTT.

BY VICTOR ELLIOTT.
International News Service Correspondent
Washington, D. C.-Shortly after the
heir to the Austro- Hungarian crown
was assassinated the British battle
feet was assembled off Portland for a
spectacular review. This pageant
over, the ships did not dispense by
units and divisions as might have been
expected. The fleet mysteriously
stayed as an integer It was ready to
be flung full force upon the Germans
when the war broke.
There is a curious parallel between
Winston Churchilfs management OF
the Grand feet last summer and the
program now laid out for the American
feet. 1t is unsafe to draw too many
conclusions from this parallel But
the fact that our battle feet now drill
Ing off Guantanamo is to stay together
wen into the summer is interesting
and perhaps a triie reassuring.
Guantanamo Maneuvers.
The Guantanamo maneuvers and tar.
get practice have brought together the
strongest feet ever seen under the
Stars ami Stripes. The experience Of
ficers and men are getting there is
quickly wearing away the rust which
the Mexican troubles and other causes
had let collect. After the Guantana-
mo working out the feet will re-
turn north for continued practice.
These further exercises will take
place with Narragansett bay as the
base The feet leaves Cuba in May.
From Narragansett bay the fleet will
assemble in New York. Here most
extensive war game may be played.
The plans are not fully matured, but
it is proposed that the fleet divide, one
part attacking, the great metropolis
and the other taking up the defense.
y Then the feet sails for Hampton
Roads, where review ordered by con-
gress will be held in June. The feet
will probably proceed to the Panama
canal for the celebration. Thence it
may go to San Francisco.
Unparalleled Naval Activity.
Not alone in fleet concentration will
the next few months be notable. The
repairing of rents in the navy and the
creating OF new fighting machines is
going ahead as never before. The Eu-
ropean war has thrown the limelight
on the navy and also, as Robert Ian
sing, counsellor of the state depart
ment, said in a speech at New York
recently, this lis q time for serious
thought, a time for anxiety"
The general board, consisting Of Ad-
miral George Dewey, and Rear Ad-
mirals G. j. Badger, Bradley A. Fske
and Alfred Reynolds, is bent upon a
complete reorganization of the fleet.
It Is expected the superdreadnaughts
Oklahoma and Nevada will be added to
the feet this month. This will make
the first line consist OF eight dread.
naughts and four superdreadnaughts.
The divisions of the battlefield will
be rearranged so as to distribute the
power to the best advantage.
The Present Fleet. a
The feet now consists of four battle
ship divisions, q cruiser squadron, de-
stroyer and submarine flotillas, col
Hers, supply and hospital ships. mine
layers and smaller auxiliaries. OF the
four battleship divisions the FIRST two
are composed OF first line ships, or
dreadnaughts (the sailor does not use
the term edreadnaughts"). Indeed the
second division has one second line
ship, the Kansas. But the addition OF
the Oklahoma and Nevada will make
three divisions of four dreadnaughts
each possible and of these craft, four
will carry the new 14-inch rife. '''
Except for Great Britains new
Queen Elizabeth class superdread'
naughts the only guns as large as
l4-inch on any vessel are those borne
by the American ships Texas and New
York. Each carries ten such rifles.
Until Great Britain put the Queen
Elizabeth into commission the United
States navy was the only one in the
word to have afoat guns as large as
14-inch diameter. The Queen Eliza
beth has eight 15-inch guns. The su
periority of these to finch rifles Il
not certain. They may give greater
smashing power to their proieetiles
but probably do not increase tbs
range. Drawbacks may develop.
Heavy Guns.
Gu. 14-fnch gun does not have I
greater effective range than the earlier
12-inch gun. The latter is regarded al
one Of the most efficient types possible
to produce. It's length is 10 times 1T
diameter, which gives great accuracy
in sighting In the 14-inch guns 1t wal
found necessary to reduce the length
to As times the diameter, or 40 cali
bers."
Perhaps the 12-inch gun is the NOR
accurate, but the 14-inch projectii'
weighs 100 pounds against so
pounds for the smaller weapon. Bot