The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-01-29
S1!RS Up THE navy.
Battle in South Pacific Opens Up
Controversy.
Efficiency Of Big Guns In Rough Sea
IL Subject Naval Officers Must
Give Their Attention
to Soon.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK.
tstar Correspondent Western Newspap'

fStaf Correspondent Western Newspaper
TnionD
Observation-Disclosures naval on.
GERS are showing a deep interest In
the fairly complete report Just re-
ceiVad Of the fight between the Ger
mar and English squadrons In the
South Pacific. a fight which ended In
the defeat OF the British and in the
sinking with a loss OF all on board Of
the cruiser Good Hope. There Ia a
reabon for the sharp interest OF the
American officers.
This first fight in the South seas be-
tween German and English vessels
took place while a gale Of wind was
blowing and the sea was running
high, German reports as well as
those from smaller English cruisers
which escaped from the combat, were
to the effect that the Good Hope could
not use It's big guns because Of the
pitch Of the ship in the high seas.
During the latter days Of the Roose-
veil administration a writer on naval
affairs said that some Of the American
cruisers, ships of much the same type
as that of the English Good Hope, al.
though the latter vessel was not men.
toned or thought of at the time, we're
so constructed that in a high sea they
could not use their big guns efficient
ly. This criticism aroused a lot OF at.
tentiOn and some naval officers said
that 1t was not well based and others
said that 1t was entirely we'll based.
One American ship which was men
toned by the critic vas the West Wiz.
gtnia. Of which 1t was said with a
Sea running a more stable enemy's
ship with the same armament and the
sahie guns could knock the American
to pieces because the latter would
pitch so that her guns could not be
sighted accurately.
One curious thing In connection
with this criticism was that Just be.
fore the article appeared President
Roosevelt had taken a trip on the
West Virginia from the Mississippi
river below New Orleans around
Florida to Hampton roads. While on
the journey a gale came up and Ad.
m'ral Brownson. who was in com.
mnnd of the West Virginia, took the
president on the bridge and said to
him: Il want to show you how the
vessel behaves In a high sea and also
show you that with conditions as
are we can make good use OF our
guns"
1t was accounted singular that the
very ship which had been singled out
as a type of those which would be In.
efficient In a high sea was the ship on
the president had sailed and
had seen under the conditions out.
lined. Moreover. 1t was accounted a
coincidence that Admiral Brownson,
without knowing anything Of the
forthcoming criticism, should have
an answer to 1t In advance.
1t seems likely that a complete
study Of the possibility Of the efficient
Use of the big guns on our warships
a certain type will be tested before
very long. In order that a point Of
controversy may be settled. II II
prove true that some OF our
ships cannot give a good account Of
themselves. even with a moderate sea
there probably will be a
OF construction methods In.
a readjustment Of weights.
rhe navy just nov is studying this
with a good deal Of interest,
'ttention, as has been said, having
'een drawn to It by the predicament
which the English ship Good Hap8
ound herself in when the more stable
German vessels met 1t on the high
ieas In a gale Of wind.