New-York tribune., 1921-02-13

st the beginning Of the war they would
have won ''all out"
New Implements of Warfare
"One of Jackie Fishers greatest
victories was won when he drew the
Kaiser after him in vain attempt to
win mastery via the dreadnought.
TO do this, Germany had to widen the
kiet Canal, an effort which cost her
time ard money. What would have
happened if she spent the same energy
on the building Of submarines is not
pieasant4 to contemplate.
And remember that new weapons
arc constantly being developed. / may
say something about this later. II js
revealing no secret to say that the
torpedo plane has left the region Of
airy fancy and is coming down onto
the broad sea.
= We hear it said that the League Of
Nations will do away with naval war
The best way to stop naval warfare
ls TO make aggression by sea more
dlfncult, or perhaps impossible. and T
think that in few years' time. if ali
nations are defensed in the manner
that | have described, aggression by
sea WiIl be very difficult, II not inpos-
slDle, and therefore if aggression bv
sea becomes impossible naval warfare
must cease
Il am Of the opinion that weapons Of
oeIense are approaching such poten.
1la!lty that aggression will be very
diflcult-as difficult as a soft-nosed
rabbit would find burrowing its wav
ehr.9y1gn your Rocky Mountains"
Sir Percy?" p % q III
Won't Criticize America
Yes, that's what our American
cousins would call some proposition,
put let NE say this. What the Amer.
lcan and Japanese people are doing in
TINS way is no business Of mine. No
ocuot these great countries know what
the use ls of the battleships they are
building. don't Of course. the
Pacl1c is not the Atlantic and the At
iantlc is not the North Sea. Geo.
graphical position alters conditions
N9uC even allowing for that / have yet
TO be convinced as to the use of the
big battleship in the future"
Then you think that America is
acting. foolishly even from her own
point IN building these leviathans ?"'-
Sir Percy made no reply for min
uec or Two, but regarded me with
tWinkhng eyes. Then slowly, after the
pause: "No, you don't get me criticiz-
lng the program of q friendly nation
It's their affair, not mine. But arr
We really sure that America is goine
10 build all these giant ships?
There has been such 4 thing as
naval bluff in the past. But I don't
need to labor that point. would saw
to my American friends who are keen
on big ships. Look at the replies I have
mad TO my question What Is the use
OF the big battleships?"
l. The answer of Punch: "The use
OF the battleship can be found in the
journalistic employment it provides foy
retired admirals."
z. The answer Of q beautiful lsdy:
'Battleships are of use because tbey
nave magnificent decks for dancing anc
good hand. Submarines are ne
"(3) The answer Of taxpayer. Every.
body surely knows that the chic.
reason for the retention OF the biz
oattleshlp ls to enable large amouni
or the taxpayers money to be dis.
trlbuted among a large number OF
oficl&is whose brains have become tot
ossliied to. be capable of useful work
Location of Next War
Then you don't think that tn,
battleships might be made double
skinned and torpedo-proof?"
Il do not think there is any limit
to the size of the torpedo. There i:
no reason why it should not have ,
ton of INT in its nose, and l do no
think that any battleship can be bull
! that will stand charge Of that sort