South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-07-17
EXPERTS CLAIM
PLAN IS WRONG
Hold BattIeShip Cannot Be
Eliminated to Make Way
For Submarine and
AeropIane.

NEW YORK, July 1T.-Shipbutld-
ers and naval experts do not agree
with the statements made by ~Josephus
Daniels. secretary Of the navy. that
the main defense OF the United states
in the future Will be the aeropiane
and the submarine. Mr.. Daniels made
the assertion at the home OF Thomas
a. Edison Thursday night and in some
quarters il was regarded hat the sec
rotary had in mind the gradual elm
nation of the battleship as a serious
consideration in naval warfare.
William Cramp * Sons, the Phiia-
delphia shipbuilders. who have con-
structed many great lighting ships for
the United States. believe hat the
secretary of the navy is wrong in his
assertion that Americas undersea and
oversee forces must be depended upon
as the chief defense OF the nation.
The battleship is the unit OF the
navy" il was stated Friday. Every
other kind OF craft is subsidiary TO
it. 1t is true that the submarine and
the aeroplane are a menace to the
battleship. but always Will the latter
type OF craft bear the brunt CT battle
IL cannot be eliminated.
Present War No Test.
"Of course Mr.. Daniels has a perfect
AAEAAL 10 0ApLESE his OHAAlADns nAA II ~
not believed that he voices the Opin-
ion OF his experts or the opinion ~
the people OF the nation. Further
more. Mr.. Daniels cannot guide his
opinion by any test OF the present war.
for there has been no test OF the moo
ern battleship. England's fleet is busy
blockading the German fleet and the
German fleet has not seen lit to come
out and give battle.
We believe the submarine will get
a tback in the mex 60 OF 80 days.
Everyone knows that England is con-
structing a large fleet OF small electric
boats armed, 10 be used a.. submarine
destroyers. When they are completed
the British isles can be surrounded
completely by these small swift craft.
probably one every five miles. They
win scOur the seas and h chance
Will the submarine have against
them? They require "A crew Of only
three or four men and when destroyed
the cost is small, but when AZ subma-
rinc is destroyed the cost is great ia
property and lives.
Battlcship the Backbone.
Not until the submarine is devel-
Oped so that il can remain under
water indefinitely Will il be paramount
as a fighting craft. The great draw
back to the aeroplane is its inability
to carry weight. In its present de-
NtAODAAANAA OAAcAAt VI EAOMA AAANH ~
fighting qualities have been shown TO
be negligible. The aircraft will ave
to be developed considerably before
it can be regarded seriously as an
important factor in actual defense.
The battleship is and will continue TO
be the backbone Of the navy. Ii never
will be eliminated"
5. Stanwood Menken. president OF
the National Security league. stated
the league is much encouraged 10y
Sec'y Daniels statement that he BE-
lieves in preparedness for war. but
asserted that the fact remains that
the modern battleship is still the all
important unit of every fleet.
$50 far il has been shown" said
Mr.. Menken. that all improvements
in aerOplanes. submarine and other
subsidiary forces are subordinate TO
the actual fighting craft. The league
believes that no improvements in the
subsidiary fleet equal in importance
those of the building OF the super
dreadnOught, which is the first line
of n fleet, TO its highest state OF
efficiency"