The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-24

fifty knots for 500 miles. carrying 1000
| pounds OF explosive and continuously
under the control by radio OF pilot
so high as TO be practically invisible
| In the sky then the surface ship can
no longer be relied upon for defence.
And indeed. this is the very type OF
weapon now available to our navy II
the word of experts can be relied upon.
The power for such torpedoes was de-
veloped during the war in the Bureau
OF Standards at Washington. and radio
control was developed TO high degree
, OF perfection at Langley Field under
the Bureau OF Aircraft Production.
IroncInds' Days over.
The Washington despatch was called
&c the attention of Ward feathers and
John Hugh O'Neill the engineers who
were instrumental In the development.
of radio control and long range TORPEDO
power during the war. II was a list and
description Of the newer weapons fur
nished by these men and published for
the first time in The NEW YORK HERALD
that started the public discussion of tho
usefulness OF our twelve battleships and
six battle cruisers now building.
In England. they said, even the man
Oh the street knows that the armorclad
era OF naval warfare ended with tho
battle OF Jutland. England has just
scrapped on the ways three sister ships
OF the world famous super battle cruiser
Hood, the worlds greatest war vessel.
England is spending this year a quarter
Of a billion for new construction, YET
building no new ships. The British Ad-
rralty is expanding this sum entirely
on the newer types OF devices, including
aerial transports, radio controlled air
nd rnl 10 Ia
pedoes. They are bringing mother ships
foi airplanes to a higher state of per-
lection, while America does nothing but
build what the naval world has prac-
tically discarded.
1t has been learned that the English,
French and Italian technical missions to
/ this country during the war were In
touch with the successful development
OF enemy interference, free radio con-
| troll of one airplane from another air
plane, and knew that the same control
was designed for correcting the direc-
ton of long range invisible torpedoes.
They also knew of the development at
the Bureau of Standards of power cycles
for torpedoes many fold greater than the
airfiask type. Ample evidence proves
that again, as with the submarine tho
torpedoplane and the airplane itself,
American devices refused at home. are
made the basis of great foreign build
ing programmes.
Hands on New Devices.
A well known naval expert. while
discussing the efficacy Of the big ship.
said yesterday:
"rhc British recently held a great
sham battle for the purpose of determine
ing finally the value OF battleslips
against the newer weapon. The Jhips
steamed at great speed. Unlike the
American navy, they have many power
full units above thirty knots. The air.
planes attacked at $50 mile speed Here
again they differ from. us in that for
naval use they insist upon high speed
land planes instead of the slow. lumber
ing unmaneuvrable scaplanes adopted
| by the United States Navy. The newer
weapons put seven OF the nine major
units, the finest and fastest in the
worlds greatest navy, hors de combat.
| The supremacy of the aerial navy Is
unquestioned hence the tremendous
British naval air programme.
America has done nothing in his
line because the navy chiefs don't fancy
these newer weapons. But to allay a
| growing public suspicion that all is not
we'll they stage the spectacle of the olo
Indiana steaming ten knots and bombed
| by unopposed cumbersome seaplanes.
| All radio men know that the radio per-
| Torrance could have been as well staged
| ten years ago. Mere distant control by
radio without ELECTROMAGNETIC fea-
lures or electrical difficulties peculiar to
airplanes or submerged torpedo control
| is a job for an amateur.
England is making use OF many Of
her latest and fastest battle cruisers
with speeds between thirty-fve and forty
| knots by remodeling them as airp'sne
carriers. The American navy Is plan
ming to turn the old fifteen knot collier
Jupiter int a carrier for seaplaTes.
Bless their hearts, since when is America
so penurious in its naval budget that
for modern means of self-defence must
be substituted a useless second hand
collier scrapped by an oil burning feet
It's sad spectacle. II sentiment, tradi-
ton and noble deed alone may be relied
upon. why not remodel the grand old
Constitution and put her in the first
| line of defence?"
Hope Congress VIII Act.
Young naval officers who have the
physical qualifications for successful ali
Sighting know that to take the air In
combat with an enemy equipped as Eng
land Is to-day with the up to the minute
high speed agile fighting aircraft, in
cluulnB IalcOnplaneS, Win no numar
life aboard. Is to go to certain death
and defeat without even endangering ar
enemy life.
They feel that the civilian chiefs are
again falling TO provide adequate
weapons of defence. the penalty for
whick n time OF need will be the loss of
-any lives and destruction from the ali
of ports and cities hundreds Of miles
inland.
The statement OF Senator L. Heislel
Ball OF Delaware. member Of the Senate
Committee on Naval Affairs. who, ac-
cordlng TO the Washington correspon
dent, said that he had no doubt the mex
Congress would appropriate larger sums
Of money for the purpose of expert.
mentation and development of new in.
.trumentalities OF warfare. such as radl,
controlled airplanes and others outlined
in THE NEW YORK HERALD article, wa,
warmly approved by naval experts here
They pointed out that only after these
devices were built and used by our &C.
tive. alert and physically fl young men
who alone could handle them, could in
telligent opinion and tactics be formu-
lated.
II is impossible. they said, for old
men physically incapable Of the expert
ence of battle flying to form valuable
opinions purely from the exercise Of