Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-01


again the American navy looms up ~
the most significant feature OF "A situa-
tion fraught with infinite possibilities
" is tho fate Of naNics 10 be furgottci
Wheh they are not needed. Nineteen
Years ago, III the Spanish American
war, the navy was the center of at
tcntion: no sooner WAS peace declared
'hah II began to slip into the back :
ground, and even its annual tight for
an adequate appropriation WAS fol-
iowcd with sympathy growing less
and less warm by the nation III large
NOW. presto! the Kaleidoscope OF inter
national politics has turned again. aud
our navy is once more our main safe.
guard, our strongest weapon, the
hiShest trump i'll our hand, in this in
ternational card game where VIC have
decided To call a bluff.
IL Is not too much 10 say that the
navy Is the most important thing I'm
the nation at the moment. But as a
result Of those nineteen years of peace
ana much prosperity. many Americans
have idea. about the force and make
up of the navy that are vague 10 say
tue least Congress. in "a burst Of last.
minute realization. has appropriatcd
the largest sum of money for the navy
mat has ever been appropriated for a
similar purpose In the world AS Il
result. our naval register includes mauy
battlcShips whose names are followed
by an astcrisk. IL you trace tina,
asteris!t down to its lair YOU will find
II stands for the significant little word
authorized" We have battlcships ON
paper. hattlcShips on the stocks in the
naryyardS. In view OF these facts
some alarmists arc talking as though
tho batt!eships We have on salt water
were hardly worth mentioning
Man for man, and ship for ship as
Admiral Dewey put II, tho American
navy is the equal Of any navy on Tho
hn hos
rcan war. man for man and ship for
ship there were only two nnvics that
cNccllcd ii in lighting power. the Brit 8.
ish and tho German. The British navy
was even thcn away out of our class
having double tho tonnage and "A better
balance OF the various types Of fight +
ing craft. The German navy was then
not far ahead in point of tonnage
while tho French were 100. 900 tons
behind our present strength. Since Au-
gust. 1919, no reliable information in
available as to tho naval increases OF
these powers. but they have all been
building as fast AS possible. and il is
generally conceded that we have been
outstripped by the French
The fact that tho German navy was
larger than our own. even before the
war. has something sharply ironical IN
". for II was largely tho influence Of
al American admiral-Admiral Mahan.
the kccncst student of naval problems
perhaps. that tho world has ovcr seen,
that led Germany 20 her hir-nayy. nro.
gram. Admiral Mahan proved con
clustNcly. for the FIRST time. that Amos,
every srea; war has been settled. no,
on land hut on sea Tho German.
took tho lesson 70 heart
Is Onc OF Four Grcnteat
However all this may be the com.
fortirE fact remains that tho Ar.eri.
can navy was and is ono Of tho
adequate provision has been taken
that ii shall take high rank again in
tho future. II tho meantime wc have
III" ships and men which Admiral
Dewey assured Us are tho equal ~ any
shipS aud men on earth EVcu with.
out the very extensive increases which
viii bc added as soon as tho navy
wards can do their work tho American
navy is = highly efficient and fornid
ahlc weapon.
Hccts tho Atlantic. tactic aud Asiatic
Fleets. IN the Atlantic Fleet wc have
concentrated the bulk OF our sea
mower Here VIC have four Divisions
including fifteen hattlcships nf the
DrcadnouEht class. twelve ot ihem ..
thoroughly modern type. three others
slightly older. but adequate for ii-st {.
line work Tho Atlantic Fleet also
includes destroyer force ri forty.
nine vessels. and reserve ~ twenty
h'IlIcSnlpS ana cruisers. The -
called cruiser force or this fleet il
made M ~ nine cruisers and gun
boats: there rs mine force OF eight
ships. and there arc twelve tenders
Of various sorts. repair ships fuel
ships and hospital ships. This ~ tho
seaEo!nC force. not including subma :
rines. many Of which are planned for
use as coast defense. The navy also
has cruising submarines. some OF those
under construction having cruising
radius Of 1000 miles without taking
on fuel. Tho navy has seventy i've
submarines built aud building. not in :
Guiding those provided for under tho
August appropriation, which outlined
our hNe-ycar program and made initia,
appropria tons for construction.
Eight truiAer~ In Pacific FLEET.
The Pacific Fleet is made up o!
eight cruisers and =unhoats nine Tor
pcdo boats and reserve "f eight
cruisers and hattlcshio, hosidos sun
ply and fuel ships. In tho Asistic
Flee, We have three cruisers. nine
gunhoats. torpedo f'otiiia Of Eve yes
sells. and tho necessary tenders.
The total number of vessels in rntn
mission NOT including submarines tugs.
etc. Mas l6S. Under the August naval
act, provision was made for l5s addi-
tional vessels OF the most modern
TYPO. including battleshps, battle
cruisers. scout cruisers. submarines and
suXiliaries. The total cos, OF these
vessels viii he approximately s545-