The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-11
DANIELS HALTS
CONTRACTS FOR
NEW WAR SHIPS
Starts Saturday for Europe
With Experts to Study
Swift Battle Cruisers.
6 35-KNOT SHIPS HALTED
Britain's New Naval Monster
Gives Cue for Inquiry Into
Future Of Capital Ships.


"
"AsHiNoroN' maich AV'- o'sioii'''
that the whole battle cruiser pro-
gramme of the navy. involving an ex-
,o,,s,,,,u> 80 o,,,o.. ho1, h,,,,on dol
iars' Will oe aoahuoileu III A"''i Vi "
new type of cruiser battleship was In
that Secretary Daniels had oroereo
five knot cruisers already authorized
until a decision as to the future type
OF capltal snip coulo pe reacheu.
There Is wide dinerence OF opin-
ion among American naval officers as
to whether the slow battleship and the
fast cruiser should not give way in the
fut,,ra 70 a chin combining the power
30 tho ooo ga naarI,, tho sneed of the
% .lo ~ GU ., Con-
o'' 80 -. 49,, o,.io,,
gress committees nave oeierreu ac..o /,
on six additional cruisers utltll iui'
report on new types can be mace py
the Department.
It is to gather information for this
renort that Secretary Daniels and his
49, o,ios .o-,triool a1,,isers will sail
e,liee .iliei rrii IT,, ,,,iu he
SATURDAY ioi nui 49, IT.,
met overseas py Auiiliia i benson -
oil operations, ana Nlce-Auiiiiiai Guns
and upon their return some weeks De-
fore Congress meets in extra session
probably in the early summer, a gen.
oral conference will he held at which
to,;t,, onir,on n, exnarienced Of
''.,.aI - as 20 yba,
hcerS VIII oe WI ~ ,5 ~
types OIL CaplIdl siilps siiouiN ~
Formal Statement Issued.
Thu \ statement was authorized TO-
day By Secretary Daniels:
''.Th,> conclusion relating to the
.ype % 80, " os nauaj activities of the
,,rosort ,,,sr has created such n diff
1900 y, oninIon among naval ex-
- g.. ~ Socra,,ry ~ the NAVY
airao+ad tho Temporary suspen-
20 - 49, h,,idtng 81 the large hat
81 or,,,.ars
..As,,,,,.ar >,.yo tho Comma der-
T., C,'ins % ~ Tn,,ad States Allan
a., at nsbsn before the COMMITTEES
Nal AroIrs ~ the House.
o.a.ad that In his oninion the most
sGao,i,,a oan;taI sb,n Of to-day Is a
-, s ~ ,,,ashir 1,bich 20 rries
80 - ,owar and arrnor nro-
,.otion ~ ha.,lasbtn and as much
u,,-,o - Az bigb sneed Of a
10 40 cr,,iser Such naval experts as
A ir,iraI Ren.on and Admiral Sims.
- ras,,It 81 their observations and
-, ohrood concur In the opinion
20 AsrstraI ,f.yo
..>Inn,, -, w. b,eb ranking orsicans
,ha Eoyy Dona rt,nen, likewise con-
cr- IN this oninion. while MANY Of the
oxaarts ~ az CaneroI BOARD are of
the oninion that the battle cruiser
as MANNED should be proceeded with
and battleships of slower speed,
greater gun power and greater pro-
lection be likewise constructed.
Nearly S2OO,OOO'OOO Involved.
.Recause n, the difference of opin-
ton anoong naval exnerts the large
ar,onrt ~ money involved Cbetveen
Isonoo nm ond sono ooO 400, and
the great question of lighting efrici-
ancv heIn1 involved the Secretary of
~ NoyI, hos directed Temporary s,s
bottIo o-,,tsars IIttIa of the vporl,
on the hulls has been done. Some Of
the electrical machinery has been
started. but II Is not contemplated
that the delay of two months or so
will be such as to interfere seriously
with the proper decision in the mat
ter.
at is because or the difference o.
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 possible
while abroad from studies of foreign
plans and specifications"
The navy has not had a similar con
troyersy over ship designs for ten year.
In this case the Navy General BoarC
charged with deciding upon the mil
tary characteristics OF new ships. dh
agrees with the opinion of the high OF
hcers who have had experience ovei
seas in the present war. On the boar
az two former commanders OF the A
lantic Fleet, Rear Admirals Badger an
Fletcher. Thy believe that the COZ
struction of 9TH dreadnoughts and ba
tie cruisers should continue.
Precedent Set by Britain.