The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-07-26
WEST COAST Is
GUARDED NOW As
NEVER BEFORE
United States Can Meet on Even
Footing Any Other Force That
Could Be Assembled Off Our
Shores.
BY F, M. KIRBY AND A. E. GELD
HOF.
N. e. A. Washington Bureau.

N. e. A. Washington Bureau.
Americas Pacific coast is guarded
as never before. -
When the fleet now going through
Panama canal is assembled on the
western ocean, Uncle Sam will have a
Pacific armada equal to the entire
Japanese navy. In some respects 1t
will 'be superior. .'..
This United States fleet can meet
on equal terms any other naval force
that can be assembled in Pacific wa
ters.
From all parts Of the Atlantic coast
great iron.gray battleships have sped
to Panama. The big ditch is getting
it's greatest test.
Canal officials say the entire fleet
can be taken through In two days.
Navy officials mean to find out.
When the vessels from various parts
of the Atlantic and those already in
Pacific ports, get together Admiral
Rodman will have 200 ships under his
command.
The entire Japanese navy numbers
207.
Other comparisons of the two fleets
follow:
Pacific Fleet.
EIGHT dreadnaughts
EIGHT pre-dreadnaughts (making
16 battleships)
ELEVEN cruisers.
,. japanese Navy,
FIVE dreadnaughts.
TWELVE pre.dreadnaughts. MAX
ing II battleships)
FOUR battle cruisers.
TWENTY NINE cruisers.
But at this point the tabulation
loses effectiveness because of the diff
ferences in classification between the
two navies. The United States navy
has no battle cruisers in commission,
for instance, bupt the eleven cruisers
are considered superior in fighting
power to the Japanese vessels similar
ly classed. In addition Admiral Rod
mans fleet has a large number of
"small cruisers" and gunboats which
are useful as scouts or patrol boats
against weak or uncivilized states, but
which are not counted as modern
fighting vessels.
But in destroyers the compari-
son is:
Pacific fleet, 1OS (all new).
Japanese navy, 80.
The figures are up.to-date, from the
navy department and the Japanese
embassy.
The Pacific fleets tonnage is $685.
900; the Jap navy's 100000.
But the Pacific fleet is superior in
hitting power, equal in gun power and
nearly equal in man power.
And in addition
There's our Asiatic squadron!
That's the fleet in the Philippines
and around Guam and our other far.
ther islands.
Establishment of the Pacific fleet
is only the beginning Of the assertion
of United States sea power in the Pa
cific. When congress In 1916 adopt.
ed the navy departments Three
Year Building Program 1T authorized
a total addition to our navy of 1856
vessels of all types, including 10 bat
tleships and six battle cruisers. Ev-
cry one of these ships is either now
in commission or under construction.
The new three-year program Ito be
complete by 1929 calls for 1856 more
vessels and is a duplication of the
previous program, including ten
dreadnaughts and six battle cruisers.
By 1923. therefore, the United States
navy will include 81 first-line, heavy
gun vessels-dreadnaughts, pre-dread-
naughts, and battle cruisers-Which
will give about thirty of these ships
to the Pacific coast.
The ultimate aim Of the Japanese
navy department. is avowedly toward
the eight-eight system; that is, eight
battleships and eight battle cruisers
to a squadron. and to have in time at
least three such squadrons. Up to the
present time, however, the state of
Japanese finances has permitted only
an eight-four system; but the program
put forward for this year alters the
plan to tight battleships and six bat
tie cruisers by 1928. Thus Japan will
Continued on Page Four.)