Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-12-12

WOULD TURN CRUISERS
into PASSENGER LINERS
Naval Experts Declare Vessels
Now Under Construction
Can Be Converted.
COULD NOT DE RESTORED
Officials Point Out That suggcstcd
Craft IL Merchnntmun, Lacking in
the Present American Commercial
Fleet.
COULD NOT DE RESTORED
Iny A.sociateh pressl

tby Association IrcSs
WASHINGTON. Dec. l1.-whi!c
the foreshadowcd acceptance BY
Japan of the '5-5-3" naval ratio.
cornerstone Of the American naval
limitation plan. Will leave much ID
be decided. IL does no, FOLLOW. in the
opinion OF American conference OIL
Gals. that the conference itself viii
have to pass on all that must be
done. The remaining work on naval
matters. Il Is said. naturally divides
itself into two classes; there are de-
cis:ons involving policy and those
merely dealing with details under
policies already approved.
3iust Decide on Policy.
The conference must ac, on all
policy questions. In this group lie
the France Italian naval ratio de-
termination the British desire 10
reduce the Tonnage OF each power In
submarines and. possibly, TO limi:
the size OF furIre submarines; the
suggested modification OF the ten
year naval holiday plan to permit
some building as nccessary for pro
lection OF ahipbu!iding knowledge
and skill. and final determination OF
fleet ratios in airplane carriers.
In tho other group. It is expected.
VIII be found such questions as
agreement as 10 methods of scrap
ping ships slated for destruction:
ways and means TO control conversion
OF merchant craft into way vessels
IL war time: rules OF warfare as
applying TO new agencies such as
Submarines, aircraft and poison gas:
specific agreement as TO flcct ratios
In other auxiliary ships besides sub
marines and airplanc carriers II is
held the conference could well leave
some. III least. OF these points TO cx-
PERT discussion and final settlement;
through ordinary diplomatic chan
Rels
Confer on Methods.
particular point in the latter
class is the method 10 he followed
in scrapping capital ships. This
necessarily involves such disposition
Of the vessels as will make them
impossible OF ready reconvcrsion into
war craft. Yet there Will be a
strong tendency to salvage what
ever can be saved FOR ordinary com
mercial or other purely noncombat-
ant use.
Already it has been suggested
that three OF the six American bat
tie cruisers could be made over into
safe. fast passenger liners, a type
OF merchantmen lacking in the pres
ent American commercial fleet. The
three ships under consideration have
tcen completed UP to the water line.
AT that point. naval experts figure,
IT would be possible to continue con-
structson so as 20 produce a purely
passenger vessel instead Of a potcn-
tial cruiser. Changes would %.
necessary so that the vessel never
could be restored 10 war purposes
except to tho extent that any other
commercial ship might be used as an
auxiliary for war.
Snmc Hull ms Liner.
Outside OF special hull construction
10 afford protection against sub
marines and mines 4 warship hull Is
practically the same as that Af a
liner to the water line, In the bat
tie cruisers, some OF the engines and
At least eight knots IN speed would
be sacrificed If the ship was changed
to liner and these changes would
be permanent. No change back to
cruiser construction would be pos
siblc. experts declare
Tho same thing is said to apply
to battleships. There is n possibility
that those not too far advanced ir
construction could be changed into
intermediate freight and passenger
carriers. but naval experts have not
gone far enough to determine ic .his
is a practicable and economical sug-
gestion.
There are various noncombatant
naval uses to which new or old
capital ships might be put when
stricken from the list of fighting
ships. Already one old American
predreadnought. the Kearsarge, has
been made over into n fleet crane
ship. Sho now has no fighting
quality. Similarly, 1t might prove
expedient to use a battleshlp or two
as repair or supply vessels. strip
ping them beyond possible restora-
tion OF fighting characteristics, Of
fensivo or defensive. These are all
technical. matters. however, which
naval exrerts probably Will thrash
out nfte: the conference itself has
adjourned.