The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-08-20

we already have in the line OF dread
naughts, battleshipB, submarines anC
...,..yuis me chance OF war VIII
any Eastern foe, would be rendered
negligible. with a prepOnderance OF
battie-crlscr strength in the Atlantic
and with what we own in other types
no European nation could afford tC
declare war against this country For
its commerce would be swept from
the seas and any line Of communlca,
tion which it may have established
with an invading force would incYlta-
bly, be broken, and the invaders, cur
of from support and supplies, WolIId
in turn be crushed"
Warshlp Evolution.
II may be noted here that all re-
cent wars have shown The value OF
some especial type Que Of the Civil
war came the Monitor, progcnItor OF
the battIcship, which Is but an en-
larged monitor with greater free
board. higher speed and more numer-
Gus turrcs Next came the dread
nought, also aftermath Of conflict. II
is popularIy but enormously supposed
that Great Britain, ally Of Japan In
that nations war with Russia. had
received the first informative news OF
the clash Of armamcnts in the East,
and that, as a result, its naval con
srructors had been the first to evolve
the idea Of the all-blg-gnn ship. But
although England was admittedly the
first to solidiHy the idea in steel, II
is matter Of record that plans for
the same type OF vessel had beeh
drawn by our own progressive navy
officers Immediately after Santiago
and as direct result Of the lessons
learned in that battle, These plans
accumulated dust in the archives OF
the navy department, Anon the
world was made aware that England
was secretly and hurrcdIy building
some great new engine Of naval war
fare. But so closely guarded was the
secret that none knew what the type
represented uptil the vessel was
launched and chrstcncd Dread
nought."
Then our own four-ycar-old plans
for this Identical type were hurriedly
drawn from the navy department arch-
ives and forthwith bids for the L. 5,
s. Feasible and L. S. S, Possible we're
advertised, these resulting in the
drcadnoughts OF the South Carolina
and Delaware class. The dreadnought
RELOCATED the battlcshp to second
place. but now it is the battle cruiser
which has taken the center Of the
marine stage.
Speaking against preparedness
Representative Oscar Galloway, OF
Texas, in an address in Carnegie hall
was credited with this extraordinary
statement:
I'VE do not need battle cruisers in
the navy Of this country. Battle
cruisers are the eyes Of fleet, and
MS our fleet will not do the hunting
but will he hunted. 1t won't need any
ewes. The defense Of the United
States does not depend on the regular
army and the navy, as the officers OF
those services would have the people
believe"
Testifying before the House naval
committee, one of the most distin'
guishcd officers Of our navy, and who
has the advantage Of knowing wha'
he is talking about, placed a far diff
fercnt valuation upon the battle
cruiser. He is Captain William S
Sims, now commanding the super
droadnought Nevada. There is no more
competent authority than this officer
who. prior to his present duty, was
target inspector of the navy. and sub
seoucntly in command Of the subma-
rinc and destroyer division Of the
Atlantic fleet.
It's Utility Explained.
Battle cruisers" this all-around
expert told the committee, have the
power of battleships as far as the
guns are concerned. With the eX-
ccption, possibly, of two less guns;
and if they have the power to come in
at the head OF the enemy battleShit
column and enfiade the line, with
the ships head on, where it does not
require so much skill to hit the fleet
you can readily understand the great
advantages In that situation al.