The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-06-11

w1ich gained world-fame for going
practically around the globe to get
into battle line-ffteen Oregons would
be no match for one modern dread
nought!
o., but you tell me, We launched the
biggest battleship in the world few
weeks ago. TIE PennsylT ania, you
mean. The press talked about her
great tonnage-the largest Of any ship
af1oat 1t told us about her big guns,
her armor and her general ability
to fgAt. But let me tell you this, in
recent battle between English and
German squadrons in the North Sea,
the German battle cruiser Bleud.er
was sunk. Why? Because she was
lacking in big guns? No. Because,
STE was lacking in armor? No. Be-
cause her gunners were not efficient
Or were not brave and courageous? No.
Why? The BIeuc er went down be-
cause she was slow 1t was a running
fight and the ship could not keep up
in the battle line. She Jagged behind,
the fast Englisl, boats closed in on
her and this mighty sea-fgtter was
sent to the depths Of the ocean. And
yet, my good friends the Bleucher
was from two to three knots an hour
faster than t:is great ship PennsyI-
vania over Wt1ich We raised such
hullabollo! There may have been
some excuse for the BIeucher's slow
ness, for she was a comparatively old
boat. But what excuse is there for
the sloWness of the Pennsylvania?
We know that submarines are play
ing a great part in the naval game OF
t. e present war. What kind of SUBJ
marines has the United States? A
month ago eleven submarines, practi-
cally the entire strength of this coun-
try in boats of such type, were on
review at the naval shown on Hudson
River. The pictures Of four of them
appeared in one of the New York dali
les, and with them picture of mod
ern German submarine. There was no
comment. None was necessary. The
pictures told tie story. Three days
later eleven little submarines went out
with the rest of the fleet for maneuy-
ers. In three hours time two were put
out of commission by make-believe
enemy? They iaare been relegated to
the dump-heap. What would become
of the remaining lite nine if they
faced a real enemy?
Mr.. Daniels goes farther and tells
US that we not only have enough boats,
but we have enough men to man
them In fact, E1e says, there is a
waiting list of officers. l do not tell
you that Mr.. Daniels does not know
what he is talking about. l do not
say that he is trying to Fmislead the
people, but I tell you this: Less than
four months ago tie German auxiliary
cruiser the Eitel Frederick, sought re-
fuge in the harbor at Norfolk, Vir-
ginia At the same time, British men
of-war appeared off the coast, and it
appeared that these British boats were
steaming within tie three mile limit.
A call was sent from naval headquar-
ters to the scout cruiser Birming am,
to go to Norfolk to prevent any Brit
ish boat from violating our neutrality
to keep them out of American
waters. And what happened. The
Birmingham was then stationed at
Philadelphia, and it required drawing
from the entire fleet assembled there
to get enough men to make full
complement for the cruiser Birming-
ham. And furthermore, in the dead
hours of night, wnen all Philadelphia
was asleep, policemen of that city
went into the slums to get enough
Italians and peoples of other nations
to act as stokers-to shovel coal be-
meath the boilers of the Birmingham
to carry the fighting boat to Norfolk
"a nights journey from Philadelphia!
We are further told by this same
man that the guns of defense of New
York city, our principal port, have a
range "the greatest in the world" Yet
Representative Gardner has pointed
cat tat the guns carried by battle
ships like the superdreadnaugh Queen
Elizabeth of the British navy, which
have been in the action at the Darda-
nelles, with power enough to carry
projectiles weighing from 1900 to g.
900 pounds from Is to 20 miles-these
guns could reduce the forts that de-