The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-09-03
SEA POWER DISCUSSES
CHANGES IN CAL|BRE
Is Ii Wise to Dfsplace Twelve 14-Inch
by Eight 16-Inch Guns on
New ships?
PRACTICAL SUGGESTION
slight Lengthening of Hull Would Give
shipS Extra Pair of Guns Carrying
Heavier Mctal--Contrnlts TO be
Promptly Let.

Washington, Sept. Ais Uncle Sam
acting wisely IN displacing the twelve
l4-inch guns on his greatest dread
roughts with eight 16-inch guns?
This Is a question raised tditorially
by Sea Power, the official publication
Of the Navy League IN lis issue off
the press today.
The California" says the editorial.
will mount twelve 3-inch guns of
type only a little inferior TO the pro-
posed 16-inch guns at .ccisiva LATHE
range. and in view of the fact tina.
the rapidty of firo of the larger gun
must be somewhat less thar ina: Of
the smaller it would appear that the
relative hitting ability Of the two ships
would be approximately TO l in IA
vor of the 14-inch battery OF course
the superior smashing effect Of 7he
IG-.nch @Shell is expected 10 Comp-n-
eate. IN some degree, for he reduc-
iiop in volume of fire, but granting
this, would it not have been wiser TO
adopt a battery of ten ~ the heavier
guns and thereby remove all doubt?
at seems reasonable 70 suppose
that the additional pair of guns could
have been given these shIs by length
enfng the hull but without otherwise
materially departing from the pre-
vious plans. and that the necessary
changes might have been worke out
with delay OF not more than TWO or
three months in advertising for bids
Prompt Opening Of Bids.
Bids for four battleships the
scout cruisers submarines, destroy
ers and all other vessels authorized
except the battle cruisers and the am
munition ships. will be requested
from private ship builders the bids
TO be opened October IS. It is ex-
-,
cruisers will be ready by October /.
I'm view of past records Of delay
in the preparation of plans and the
sthrting OF new construction. the pres
ent program Of the department, If
carried out without a hitch will prove
notable performance and worthy of
all praise. provided that the plans are
all that they should
We are not informed as to the
characteristics of the new battleships
beyond the statement that they are
TO he similar to the latest preceding
class with a battery of eight 1s-inch
guns instead OF twelve t4-inCh. This
indicates that no Improvement will be
made in hull design, and II follows
either that such Improvement is be-
ing sacrificed to the determination TO
speed up construction or that the pre-
EiQus class stin represents the last
word in design. We want to believe
that this last is true. that no lesson
Of the war has shown possibility or
Improvement. except as TO calibre of
guns: that our constructors and other
experts have been unable to evolve
any new ideas of protection against
mine or torpedo attack; that the re-
ports Of our naval attaches abroad
have proved barren OF constructive
comment upon the experiences Of
foreign ships in battle; we want, in
short, to feel confident that the huge
sum Of money so generously provid-
ed by the nation Is going to be used
with the utmost wisdom to give us
the best ships that can be built in the
present state of the naval art But,
In all diffidence and in a full con-
seriousness of our lack OF informa-
ton on the subject we confess to
doubt
Why Only Eight Guns?
AS for the battery. we understand
cd the substitution of the 16 for the
our foremost authority, Is to be ac-
Cepted with confidence. Thus far.
all right But why only eight guns?
Nothing but the best is going to
satisfy the people and We regret that
there seems to be a reasonable doubt
, that the new hattleships will be all
| that they should be. Is the appar-
entity undue speeding up to be ex-
planned by some pending crisis in our
foreign relations, a crisis more immi-
nent than the public had supposed.
or is there some other reason?"