Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-01-12
JAPAN GAINING
ON i. S. NAVY,
DANIELS SAYS
Report to House Committee
Shows Race With Britain
for Lead.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 12.-Great Britain
and the United States leading and Japan
rapidly crawling up from third place
This was the picture of the worlds naval
power presented to the House Committee
on Naval Affairs today by Secretary
Josephus Daniels.
Secretary Daniels gave to the commit
tee elaborate tables showing a ship for
>ship and ton-fOr-ton comparison.
His presentation left the question of
actual supremacy between the United
States and Great Britain still Undecided
after the completion of the present Amer
lean building plan. While America viii
have outstripped England in point of
capital ships and great gun power. If
sun Tags Tar behind in submarines light
cruisers aircraft carriers and the auxil-
lary ships that go to make I'D n roun51-
effective navy. Whether this lack rnoro
than OFFSETS the advantage in capitaI sbins
is a question on which naval evnsr|s
differ '"4 "a peroS
IL Is not always possible to ludoa
e&actiy the naval power of great nations
we secretary pointed out, because If "a
NOT always known whether building on
thorized has been undertaken and whetb-
er rival nations have been frank enough
~ ~, puoiSh their real strength.
COMPARES NAVIEs
OF BIG POWERS.
Inc secretary said.
e puI as 1ar as we are able to deterrins
a. t"l Ie4IaoIe sources. said the secretary
~ Is found that when building prograns;
fbe Fai1o eu ana projected are completed
lat: siCuatlOh VIII eE-
FIRST. in reference to the British navy.
the IN T nd}}od ships and in great gun power
t3taI tonnage and effective Arhtfpg sbina
me United States will be approrimataI1
eqn2I to Great Britain.
be co e T{dlIed States Navy, however, will
&c consioera bly weaker in light cruisers
and other ships used for protecting tbS
lam lam oody OF the feet and condTSfin1
DIockading opera tons. to
We VIII be slightly inferior in sinh
marines and will have no rnodo-1 ~
/ cLStt carriers suitable for OPERATING with
the Meet. The lack of fleet aviation forces
! VII pace us at a disadvantage in com
PaatSon Win Great Britain. This means
| thsL while our battIeship force will he
suu1clently powerful to cope with any
| navy In the world in a main feet en-
easement between battleships, vet our
main meet would be open to torpedo at
tack by the enemy's torpedo forces.
HANDICAPPED IN
SCOUT WORK.
We would also be handicapped in OBJ
tanning information Of enemy movements
and maintaining the blockade of enemy
ports. Due to this weakness in ships Of
this class, We would be Handicapped in
conducting attacks against the enemy's
fleet with torpedoes.
Second, In comparison with the Jap
anese navy:
The United States Navy will be su-
perior to the Japanese in total tonnage
Of effective ships in the ratio of 21a to 1.
IL Japan should build her program prof.
ected, but not yet authorized, the ratio
would be IA TO 1 in favor Of the United
States. We will be superior in total
ships destrOyers and submarines, but
inferior in battleshlps and light cruisers.
Daniels declared the relative strength
today Is:
Britain, 1,5Ss, 442 tons, 53s ships.
United States, 779 1913 tons. $50 ships.
Japan. S54596 tons, 43 ships.
If the nations complete their present
programs without making any additions,
Daniels said. the standing would be:
Britain. 1865, 332 tons; United States,
/ GIT PSI tons; Japan, 6S9,656 tons.
At the call of the United States, a world
disarmament conference could be ar
ranged in Washington within sixty days
Gen. Tasker II. Bliss told the committee.
General Bliss, who was American mill
tary adviser at the peace conference and
former Army chief of staff. declared that
such a conference would bring results.