Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-05
BATTLE CRUISERS
FOR AMERICAN NAVY
New Program Will Provide for
Fastest and Most Heavily
Armed Craft Afloat.
TO COST s18,O0O,0OO EACH
All Items of Forthcoming Esti-
mates Considered at White
House Conference.


WASH1NGTON. October i-Superb
battle cruisers. faster and more heavily
armed than any warcraft afoat or
building. and which will cost slSOOo.-
600 each. will he recommended to Con-
grcss as a part OF the navy building
program for next year Decision on
this step WAS reached to-day at a con-
ference between President Wilson and
Secretary Daniels and Representative
Padgctt chairman of tho House Naval
Affairs Committee.
Plans for such a vessel as is con-
templated already have been prepared.
under the direction of Admiral
Taylor, chief constructor of the navy.
and are being considered by the secre-
tary 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-
tion of navycraft has risen since the
outbreak of the European war with
tAe consequent enormous demand upon
American resources, some recent steel
contracts for tho navy showing an in
crease of 30 per cent. Dreadnoughts,
which also will be recommended for
construction this winter. will cost Sls,-
600, 900 each. il is estimated as against
sl5,0o0.oo0 for ships now building.
Part OF this increase, however, Is due
to new hull construction to provide
greater protection against torpedo at
tack.
ESTIMATES MUST DE
READY BY OCTOBER IL
The number of ships of each class to
he urged probably will be agreed upon
within a few days. The estimates. by
law, must be in the hands Of the Sccre-
tary of the Treasury by October Is
Plans for the battle cruisers. Mr..
Daniels said, contemplated speed of
thirty-hve knots an hour They will
be faster than any but the swiftest
destroyer. In land terms, they will
equal the speed of railway trains maxi
ing forty miles an hour In size. they
Will equal the largest American Dread
noughts building, and far exceed any
ahoat.
The armament has not been decided
upon, but IL probably will be equal or
greater than that Of present-day
Dreadnoughts. 1t is understood that
some officers believe each ship should
carry twelve fourteen-inch 50-caliber
rifles, but II is possible that a lesser
number OF guns may be mounted, or
that the new siXtecn-inch rifle, the
largest naval gun yet developed. may
be used. In that case, probably ONLY
six or eight big guns would be
mounted.
All the items OF the forthcoming
navy estimates were considered Al to-
days conferences. Secretary Daniels
declined to disclose other details of
plans. He intimated. however that n
building program for the submarine
hotilia would he urged that would
make possible an inner line of defense
along both coasts to he maintained bv
suhmersioles operating from bases es-
tablished al necessary intervals. The
secretary said that the value of sub
mersibles for the defense of the wide
reaches OF coast line on both shores
could hardly he overestimated
TENTATIVE DESIGNS
ALREADY PREPARED
Battle cruisers have not been recon-
mended by the general board OF the
navy except once. some years ago
Plans have been considered for such
ships every year. however and tenta-
tive designs prepared Many officers
now feel that, with bids advertised for
the forty-fourth battlcship for the
navy. 1t 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
discussed in Navy War College prob
fense of the United States With ef-
forts being made TO foster the mer-
chant marine. however. and with the
Monroe Doctrine TO uphold and the
Panama Canal to defend the officers
think that the time has come when the
navy should he given the same tools to
fight with that possible enemies might
have
Recent maneuverS, IL is said, have
brought out sharply the need of both
swift scouts and lighting ships 1t is
regarded as improbable that the csti-
mates this year will include recon-
mendations for any considerable num-
bcr of scouting craft aside from the
cruiser deStroyerS, which have been in
cluded in appropriation bills for sew
eral years. For the present it is
thought the cruiser destroycrs can fill
the place of specially designed scouts,
although later many high-spee light
cruisers will he sought to round out
the navy. With enormous coast lines
to guard, such craft are viewed rs alb
solutely necessary to well-balanced
fleet
SUCCESSOR TO COMSTOCK