The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1919-03-21
FOR BATTLESH|PS
OF NEW TYPE
Battle Cruiser Program Of
American Navy May Go
Secretary Daniels And His Chief
Technical Advisers Going Abroad
In. Search OF information On
The Subject. -,

WaShingtOn.-PoSS that the
whole battle cruiser program of the
Navy, involving an expenditure Of
nearly 8 half billion dollars, will be
abandoned in favor of new type Of
cruiser battleship was indicated by
an announcement that Secretary
Daniels had ordered suspension of
work on the six 35-knot cruisers al
ready authorized until decision as
to the future type of capital ship
could be reached. &
There is a wide difference of opin-
ion among American naval officers as
to whether the slow battieship and
the fast cruiser should not give way
in the future to ship combining the
power. of the one and nearly the
speed of the other, and. because OF
this fact congressional committees
have deferred action on six. additional
cruisers until a full report on new.
types can be made by the depart
ment.
1t is to gather information for. this
report that Secretary Daniels and his
three chief technical advisers will sail.
Saturday for Europe. They will be
met overseas by Admiral Benson,
chief of operations, and Vice Admiral
Sims, and upon their return some
weeks before Congress meets in ex--
ira session, probably in the early
summer, a general conference will
be held at which a majority opinion
of experienced officers will be worked
out as to what types of capital ships
should be built.
This statement was authorized by
Secretary Daniels:
"The conclusion relating to the
type Of capital ships resulting from a
close study Of naval activities Of the
present war has created such diff
ference of opinion among naval ex-
perts that the Secretary of the Navy
has directed the temporary suspen-
sion of the building of the large bat
tie cruisers.
Admiral Mayo, the commander,
in-chief of the United States Allan
tic feet, when before the Committee
on Naval Affairs of the House, stated
that, in his opinion, the most effec-
tive capital ship of today is high
speed battleship which carries the
great gun power and the armor pro-
lection of a battleship, and much
as possible of the high speed of a
battle cruiser. Such naval experts as
Admiral Benson and Admiral Sims,
as result of their observations and
study abroad, concur in the opinion
Of Admiral Mayo. Many of the high
ranking officers of the, Navy Depart
ment likewise concur in this opin-,
ion, while many of the experts of
the General Board are of the opin-
ion that the battle cruiser as planned
should be proceeded with as battle
ships of slower speed. greater gun
power and greater protection be like
wise constructed.
Because of the difference of opin-
ion among naval experts, the. large
amount of money involved (between
$3.50, 100000 and 100000, 10000,
and the great question of fighting
efficiency being involved, the Secre-
tary of the Navy has directed tenn
porary suspension of the construction
of the battle cruisers. Little of the
work on the hull has been done.
Some of the electrical machinery has
been started, but it is not contem-
plated that the delay of two months
or SO will be such as to seriously
interfere with the proper decision Tin
the matter. 1t is because of the diff
ference of opinion among experts and
to study naval lessons taught by the
war that the Secretary Of the Navy
is taking the chiefs of the technical
bureaus of the Navy Department with
him to Europe to study the question
with naval experts and obtain such
other technical information as is pos
sible while abroad from studies of.
foreign DlanS and -specificati0ns -