Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-03-24
BY VICTOR ELLIOTT.

international News Service Correspondent.
Washington, D. C.-Shortly after the
heir to the Austro-Hungarian crown
was assassinated the British battle
fleet was assembled off Portland for
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. 1t was ready to
be flung full force upon the Germans
when the war broke.
There is a curious parallel between
Winston ChurchiITs management of
the Grand fleet last summer and the
program now laid out for the American
fleet 1t is unsafe to draw too many
conclusions from this parallel. But
the fact that our battle fleet now drill
ing OF Guantanamo is to stay together
well into the summer is interesting
and perhaps a trifle reassuring.
Guantanamo Maneuvers.
The Guantanamo maneuvers and tar
get practice have brought together the
strongest fleet ever seen under the
Stars and 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 fleet will re-
turn north for continued practice.
These further exercises will take
place with Narragansett bay as the
base. The fleet leaves Cuba in May.
From Narragansett bay the fleet will
assemble in New York. Here a most
extensive war game may be played.
The plans are not fully matured, but
it is proposed that the feet divide, one
part attacking the great metropolis
and the other taking up the defense.
Then the fleet sails for Hampton
Roads, where a review ordered by con-
gress viii 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
going ahead as never before. The Eu-
ropean war has thrown the limelight
on the navy and also, as Robert Lam
sing, counsellor of the state depart
ment, said in a speech at New York
recently, this lis a time for serious
thought, a time for anxiety"
The general board, consisting of Ad-
mir d
mirals c. ]. Badger. Bradley A. Fiske
and Alfred Reynolds, is bent upon
complete reorganization of the fleet.
1t is expected the superdreadnaughts
Oklahoma and Nevada will be added to
the fleet 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.
The fleet now consists of four battle
ship divisions, cruiser squadron, de-
strOyer and submarine f1otillas, col
iers, 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 "dreadnaughts" 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 rifle.
Except for Great Britain's new
Queen Elizabeth class superdread-
naughts the only guns as large as
14inch 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 afloat guns as large as
14-inch diameter. The Queen Eliza
beth has eight 15-inch guns. The SUI
periOrity of these to 14-inch rifles is
not certain. They may give greater
smashing power TO their proiectiles,
but probably do not increase the
range. Drawbacks may develop.
Heavy Guns.
Our 14-inch gun does not have a
greater effective range than the earlier
Pinch gun. The latter is regarded as
one of the most efficient types possible
to produce. Its length is 10 times its
diameter, which gives great accuracy
in sighting. In the 14-inch guns it was
found necessary to reduce the length
To Is times the diameter, or rs cali
bers."
Perhaps the 12-inch gun is the more
accurate, but the 14-inch projectile
weighs LOO pounds, against 1910
pOunds for the smaller weapon. Both