The Washington herald., 1916-05-22
BY f. Is. JOHNS.

The announcement that the latest jap
anese Dreadnought will carry twelve L.
inch guns brings up In the Navy Depart
ment again the proposal to arms the
/ l'readnOuEhts of the American feet with
l6-inCh guns. over two years ago there
vas so much discussion about this in the
General Board that the Secretary Of the
Navy directed the Chief of the Bureau Of
Ordnance to prepare plans for l6-inCh
gun. The plans were not only prepared
but 16-inch gun was built and tested
For year the Bureau of Ordnance has
been ready to build this type of gun as
soon rs it was directed to by the SeCre'
tary of the Navy. But the General
Board has never recommended the
change. Several of the most influential
members Of the board have been advo-
Gates OF I6-inCh guns for some time. but
the majority have never taken this posi-
ton.
Naval experts. not only Of this country
but of England. disagree as to9t wis
dom of using larger that l4-inch guns on
DreadnouEhts. After England had
armed her Dreadnoughts of the Queen
Elizabeth class with 15-inch guns It il
stated that sne went back to small er
caliber of guns.
The adoption of the 16-inCh gun in this
country, it is stated. would reduce the
number on the Dreadnoughts from twelve
to eight. A larger number of l6-inch guns
could not be placed on a Dreadnought
without reducing the thickness Of the
armOr and this would be opposed strenu-
Ously by the General Board. 1t is con-
tended by some of the authorities that a
ship with twelve 14-inCh guns would be
more powerful than one armed with
eight 16-inch guns.
The bill for the construction of a gov
trnment armOr plant is not based on the
sound principle of preparedness in the
opinion of naval authorities. 1t is not
in harmony with the plans to organize
the resources of the country behind the
army and the navy.
No objection is made to the efforts of
the administration to secure armor pIate
at the lowest price. This policy. il is
insisted, should be pursued in purchasing
all munitions of war. but the administra-
tton has rejected the plan of the minority
, in Congress, which gives the power of
fixing prices to the government Under
the proposals of the minority the govern
ment would be protected against extor-
tion by an armOr trust and at the same
time it would not be compelled to invest
millions in a doubtful experiment The
experience of the government at its
arsenals demonstrates that Congress will
not permit the authorities to conduct
these concerns along modern business
methods.
Aside from an economic feature of a
government armor plant the claim is
made that it is a dangerous policy to
attempt to manufacture munitions Of
war on an extensive scale from a mill
tary standpoint. European countries are
inclined to subsidize the manufacturers
OF the munitions of war instead Of dis
couraging them.
Under the Tilson amendment to the
army bill the government is to furnish
private concerns patterns, dies, jigs, and
other appliances so that they can i'm
mediately take up the manufacture OF
munitions in the event Of war. It would
bankrupt any government to maintain
plants that would produce all of the
munitions necessary for a great war, and
as a matter Of economy in a larger sense
| and sound military policy 1t should en-