The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-07-12
RUSSIAN FLEETS
| ARE ABSORBED BY
NAVY OF GERMANY
Baltic and Black Sea
Flotillas Gobbled
Up by Kaiser.
is BIC INCREASE
Will Make Hun Forces
Larger Than u. S. I'm
der 3-Year Build
ing Program.
is BIG INCREASE

Washington, July ff.--Thc German
navy has practically absorbed the Bal
tic and Black seas fleets of Russia,
If reports TO tho allied naval authori-
tics as yet unconffrned, arc true.
Although officials Mt the navy de-
partment declared this afternoon that
they have little. If any. doubt as to The
reliability of the information re-
ccived. every effort is being made to
get the exact facts.
The effect OF the coup, II was ex-
planned, would me to increase the
fighting strength of the kaiscrs navy
approximately 20 per cent. And with
the additions of units now understood
TO he building in German yards, would
make the German force not only iarg
or than the American navy as IL stands
today. but larger than our strengt h
would be under the tremendous three
year building program adopted by CON
gress In 1915.
At that, the Office of the naval oper-
ations let 1t he known today the
American navy IL willing TO try odds
with the German feet any time it
cares tn come out of its hiding place.
At the outbreak OF the war Russia .
navy. including ships built and build l.
ing and excluding scouts. destroyers,
gunhoats and submarines. consisted of
fourteen hattlcships and ten armorei
cruisers. OF the. batflexhips, seven
were built after the Rnsso-yapanese
war, and on the basis of Russia s
sorry experience i'm the conflict were
planned long the most modern lines.
carrying batteries OF twelve l2-inch
guns.
Tho finest OF the ships. however,
were four battle cruisers which were
still under construction mt the time
that Russia collapsed as a beliigerent
They were building AT Helsingfore. at
the head of the Baltic sea, and were
presumably taken over there by the
Germans when the latter invaded Fin
land
All of One Type.
The battle cruisers were the Navar-
in, Borodine, Ismail and Kinburn all
of one type and the latest word in
battle cruiser design when their keels
were laid. The plans called for ves-
sells of $4,000 tons each, mounting
batteries Of twelve l4-inch guns each,
and calling for a speed OF twenty-five
knots, Originally, they were due for
completion some time in 1915, but
delays incident 10 the Russian de-
bacle, ii Is thought, by the navy de-
partment. probably delayed their COM
pletion until this spring. The under
shdHGinE IL lndJ germany not only
took over the vessels. but that Ger
man workmen were placed aboard
them to hurry their completion.
Ii is understood at the department
that most of the dreadnaughts and
battle cruisers were in the Baltic fleet,
although seven of them were under
stood TO he in the Black sea at the
time the Brest-Litovsk treaty was
signed
Last month is was stated in press
dispatches from Athens that a dispute
had arisen between turkey and Ger
many over possession of the Russian
| Black sea fleet Talaat Pasha. the
grand viZier. was said to have as
sured the Turkish navy league. which
insisted Turkey had incontestable
claims to the feet. that while negotia-
tons were in progress between Tur-
key and Germany to turn the ships
over to Germany. Turkey had taken
energetic action with a view to ac-
quiring the feet" The assumption is
that Germany had her way.
The latest available information as
to the Baltic feet gave it. in addition
TO the battleships and battle cruisers,
seven armored cruisers. fifteen de-
stroyers and thirty-one submarines.
Just before the Russians withdrew