Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1915-10-07
WILL RECOMMEND
CRUISERS COSTING
s18,000,000 EACH
Congress Will BE Called Upon
to Furnish Types of War
ships Mightier Than
Any Now AflOat.

Washington. Oct 4.-Super- battle
cruisers, bigger, faster and more
heavily armed than any war craft now
afioat or building, and which will cost
S1S.000,000 each to construct and equip,
Will be recommended to Congress as
q part of the navy building program
for next year. Decision on this step
was reached to-day at n conference
between President Wilson, Secretary
Daniels and Representative Padgett,
chairman of the House naval afft.i IS
committee.
Plans for such a type of vessel al
ready have been prepared under the
direction OF Rear Admiral David n.
Taylor, chief constructor of the navy,
and now are being considered by the
secretary and members of the general
board.
Just how many Of the new type ships
will be asked for this winter has not
been determined. Secretary Daniels said
after the conference. Cost Of construc ton
of navy craft has risen since the out
break of the European war. some recent
steel contracts for the navy showing an
increase of ~ per cent over previous
prices. Dreadnaughts. which also will be
recommended for construction this win
ter, will cost s1S,000,ooO each. 1t is esti-
mated. as against $4,000 600 for those now
building. Part Of this increase, however,
is due to new hull construction to pro-
vide great protection against torpedo at
| tack.
Plans for tho battle cruisers Mr..
Daniels said, contemplate n speed Of %
knots an hour They will be faster than
| any except the swiftest destroyers. In
| land terms, they will equal the speed
| of railway trains, making moro than 40
| miles an hour. In size they will equal the
| largest American dreadnaughts now
| building and far exceed any now afioat,
The armament has not been decided
upon, but 1t probably will be equal or
greater than that OF present day dread
naughts. It Is understood that some Of
fccrs believe each ship should carry
| twelve 14-inch. 80 calibre rifles. but it is
| possible that a lesser number of guns
| may be mounted, or that the new l6-inch
! rifle the largest naval gun yet developed,
may he used. In that case probably only
six or eight big guns would be mounted.
| All the items of the forthcoming navy
estimates were considered at to-day's con
ferences. Secretary Daniels declined TO
disclose other details of plans. He init
mated however, that building program
| for the submarine flotila would he urged
that would make possible an inner-line de-
| fense along both coasts to be maintained
| by submersibles operating from bases es-
| tablished at necessary intervals on both
| the Atlantic and Pacific shore lines. The
secretary said that recently. when subma
rines were at the height Of their activity
in the European war, the pendulum OF
public opinion had swung too far in favor
| OF submarin and that the tendency now
would he to swing it TOO far the other
| way. The navy plans. he declared. would
mot make either error. He added that the
value OF submersibles for defense of tbs
wide reaches of coast line on both shores
could hardly he overestimated.
Many officers now feel that with bids
advertised for the 44th hattleship il is
time that swift, heavily armed cruisers
were added to the fleet aside from any
lessons drawn from the European war
The mission of the navy. as it is dis
| cussed in navy war college problems
always has been regarded as defense o
the United States. With efforts beini
made to foster the merchant marine
however and with the Monroe Doctrin,
to uphold. and Panama canal to defend
the officers think that the time has com,
when the navy should be given the sam,
tools to fight with that possible enemie.
might have.