Arizona republican., 1916-03-11
Naval Captain Testifies That They Would Keel Over Like Ten-Pins in Case They Were Sent Against Well Equipped Foe
CONSTRUCTION
 EXTREMELY BAD
Mistakes Were Made in the Building, But No Steps Taken to Rectifv After They Were Discovered - Comments War College
Republican A. p. Leased Wirel


 WASHINGTON, March 1O.-Ameri- c's pre-dreadnaught fleet would go over like nine pins ii pitted against IFItlsh or other craft of the same age captain w. S. Sims. commander of the new SHperdreadnaught Nevada, told i:c house naval committee today. be- cause colossal mistakes" in construc- lion have never heen rectified. Other countries he said, had spent millions ir "c-designins the older ships to meet ,hanged conditions
 illustrating his point, Captain Sims, ~ho as lieutenant went over the heads of his sIperiors to obtain Presl dent Roosevelts support in his cam l'aiGn to improve methods of target practice in the navy. said the old hun- dos Of the navy. the battleship Ore Soa, probably Was the worst naval de- sign ever put afloat. Her unbalanced lurrets heeied the ship down on broad side fire. he said, until her skin below ihe armCr belt. no thicker than mans hand, was exposed to gun fire
 The turrets of the Kentucky and the kearsaSe were so designed he declared. that four 12inch shells could enter the gun ports at one time; the sloping roofs of the Connecticutt class turrets were built to withstand short range di- feet fire and were no better than paper against modern plunging fire: the tur- rcts of the Illinois class had a gan in the armor at the back of the turret six to eight feet vide, directly in line with ine ammunition hosts inside
 All these defects, Captain Sims at ui'uted to the organization of the de- laitment that prevailed for years. He insisted that general staff woull have rendered. them impossible and told the committees that with the general board determining military characteristics of ships. modern American battle craft were well tuilt
 Under tEe nld system, the captain said. the criticisms of sea officers came to the men who designed the ships and were sEelVed by them. He described his own rank insubordination" in oh- taining President Rooscvelt'S ear as tc 'arecc practice.
 When the short range target practice was abandoned in 1909 by the depart ment. said Captain Sims, the gunnery slumned and continred to go down un- til 1glS when the individual practice waS restored. In 1915 he fleet showed forty per cent improvement, but the Improvement was from the standing oi 70 to 10 in possible 100 and the shooting was still bad The ill-effect. of the slump were being slowly but surely overcome, he added and he ished as to what the men behind the guns actually did. He insisted tha' nobody was in ignorance abroad, be- cause every foreign power has defil ile system for finding out such matter; promptly. He told of one case in his knowledge where the naval attache oi one power paid q tribe of gro, 900 tc set information as to the naval secrets of the country to which he was ac- credited.
 Captain Sims declared submarine: could not defend q coast and that the defense of New York should be made 1000 miles at Sea. He had positive knowledge he said that the British feet spent part of it's time behind nets in sheltered harbors and the rest al sea surrounded by screen fleets ant submarine nets when not in rapid mo-
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