The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-12-15
UNITED STATES
AND JAPAN ARE
ADDING TO NAVY
Naval Committee Of House
Gets Data On Warship
Construction.

washington, Lee. 15.-(Unued
Press)-With the United States at
the crossroads leading either to
naval competition or a world agree
ment TO limit armaments, the house
naval affairs committee set out to-
day to learn what the other great
powers are doing on the warship
construction business.
To. gain this Information the
committee called on Rear Admiral
Robert q. Coontz. chief of naval
operations. !.
Data obtained here today in
naval circles including facts which
Admiral Coontz was expected to
elaborate upon before the house
committee, showed:
/. Great Britain, while pos
sessing tonnage almost twice that
Of the United States, has checked
her building for the present.
2, The United States, on the
basis of her program now under
way, will surpass the British naval
strength by 1925, unless Britain
adopts new building measures.
3. japan, while actively engaged
in building both large and small
warcraft, will remain far behind
the United States when this coun-
try's program is completed.
Japan has projected seven super
dreadnaughts. Three of them, Of
40 Qnn hnsn -
built. Their completion is expect
ed In 1923. Four otohers, 10000
tons each, probably will be finished
in 1927. In 1927 Japan will have
! four new battleships and four new
battle cruisers. the "eight-eight'
program for many years the ambi-
ton Of Japan naval officials. In
1928 Japan will possess IL battle
ships and IL battle cruisers, but
four Of each will represent an early
type.
The Japanese navy now includes
1--WE capital ships totaling 157 400
tons. When the seven under con-
strpction are finished, Japan's ton
mage In capital ships will totAl
1880. s. !. :. :.
Ths United States today posssss.
es tan bAttleships and ten cruisers
but eleven battleshipa more are
being built. This Is on the basis
Of the 1916 authorization for II
capital ships. -ie-
Britain, which abandoned mary
of its vessels when the armistict
was signed, today is believed to bt
building five light cruisers totalins
80, ,780 tons; II destroyers, HE
tons, and 19 submarines, 21,80l
tons. It is even possible t631
England has cancelled some o
these vessels recently.
| Thus the United States ant
Japan are the only nations active
today in extensive naval construc
tion.
At tho present time. however
Britain's first line strength is esti
mated at 864. $50 tons, nearly twict
that of the United States.
| The tonnage Of the entire British
navy is placed today at 2,345,71e
which embraces sos ships of al
classes. The United States has 81
ships in service today, totalinl
1884 tons, but 127 American
ships are either building or pro
jected with q combined tonnage o
l890,459. Prospective American YES
| sells are said to represent newel
TYPES and greater gun power.
Japan's future provision TO
smaller craft includes nine ligh
fcruissrs, a ocean-going destroyer
land 46 submarines, most Of then
lover 400 tons. The United State
has provided for the construction
lof IL super-dreadnaughts. eigh
dreadnaughts, IA OF the pre-dread
naught period. six battle cruisers
1 ten cruisers, ten light cruisers AM
i45 destroyers and 81 submarines.