The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-08-31
U. s. Navy To Be
Second To None In 1923


"the most powerful navy nfloat' and
" "a navy second to none the secre-
tary In 1916 caused the naval board
to draw up an extensive plan OF naval
development. This program was
adopted by congress when. following
the battle OF Jutland. Il appeared
that the European var might end
without the crushing OF Gcrmany's
| naval power and while the threats
made by the kaiser to Ambassador
| Gcrard were still fresh In congress
mind.
As a result OF this program ten
capital ships OF the ~drcadnought typo
werc authorized and six battle oruis-
crs OF a faster. mor powerful type
than amy nation had undertaken.
These ships will all be completed.
undor present schedule. by 1898. ard
will add to the above capital ves-'
sells.
Type. Displacement.
4 Maryland $4,000 Ions
9 Massachusetts ........4S,2OO Ions
y United STATUES ..'.s'. .4S,hOO tons
Speed. Heavy Guns.
u kilotS lo-ln'n
20 knots ..............12 1G-inch
33.5 knots ............. 3 l6-inch
To these capital ships will he
added, before 1923. 10 modern
light cruisers Of 100 tons each.
equipped with major batteries OF
eight 0-inch gum ana having a
speed OF &c knots. t4"
In units Of smaller tonnage Eng
land still Will lead the United States.
ms she will also In numbers but not
In speed In the cruiser class. Eng
land probably will outrank us also
In destroyerg and submarines. or the
former we have SO OF the cid pre-
war type and 26O built during the
war. These arc mostly OF 1900 tons.
carrying four b-inch guns and ~
2i-lnch torpedo launching tubes.
Uncle SAINTS strength In submarines
IL somewhat shrouded In secrecy, but
may properly be estimated at about
! $50 or 100.
Heavy Gun Policy.
Perhaps the most significant
fact In the development Of the
American navy. according to
D'Arthaud. aside from the ra-
pldity with which It has forged
ahead OF the English navy In
fast, heavily-armed battleships,
Is the general tendency In Amer
lea to increase the caiiber OF
our heavy guns.
The naval board gives as reasons
foi this Increase the fact that with
tho Increase in callber the Trajectory
becomes flatter and that In Nhe Jut-
land battle II was shown that the de.
stiuctive action of u heavier pro
iectile was much greater In practice
lthan had been calculated.
The initial sped of tho p~roJectil,
In guns of larger caliber Is reduced
!, only to IL slight ccgree, out suffi
clently to diminish erosion and dc.
J teriOratlon OF the bore Of the gun
the life of tho latter being thereb,
. prolonged.
The question undoubtedly win b,
raised, now that Uncle Sam TX taltr
Ing the N over England In heavy
fighting units, whether or not We ar,
%ccntoring our strength on n type o.
vessel that Is becoming obsolete.
|, England doubtless viii point 20 thu
face that she has abandoned thu
building OF capital ships. OF tn,
! dreadnought and battle cruiser type
and is ceniering her future program
ON the development OF more henvil!
armored cruisers.
A sister ship 90 the 'super-dread
nought'' battle cruiser Hood wa.
=, stopped in course OF construction. "a
n result OF what British naval expert
, believed 10 10 the lesson OF the bat
! tie OF Jutland. 1
, American naval authorities,
4, however. after the most careful
/, tndy OF the Jutland affray, were
convinced that TIE heavily
;, armed. speedy capital ship re-
II mains the keystone and chief
strength OF any navy. Many
changes IN detail OF armoring,
/, armsing. etc, were adopted.
which are being carried out on
ships now building. but the
baadc eheory OF the relative val
\, ues Of fighting types wna un-
changed.
The strength Of a navy. they main
tain. must be measured first by tn
I speed. armor and sunpo~cr OF IL
capital ships.
sAnd, on that basis, the Frencl
! naval expert puts America first Il