Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-07
BATTLESHLPS BEING BUILT
FOR U. S. ARE OUT OF DATE

a distance from it's base, at ner-
vouS and physical and mechanical
tension which would be crushing.
Admiral Kerr's Opinion
Such an invading fleet would be
Whitfield away" said Vice Admiral
What would happen in the event
Of another way is that the big fleets
would be placed in landlocked secur-
ity precisely as they were in the
last war: Naval authority holds TO-
day that the grave mistake-t re
Germany was in not abandoning her
fleet and concentrating on subma-
rines. She never had more than
thirty subs at sea at one time. She
never had more than eleven on post
at any one time. That is; eleven
either on their way to or from Kiel.
Yet she almost starved England.
Even if battIeships were still lin
play" to use a sporting term, the
value of our battleships now under
construction is problematical. Our
present fleet is as powerful as any
in the world. We plan to add eleven
fleet-our fleet-infinitelv more pow
erful than any in the world.
Our Ships of 1916 Model
Our battleships in course of build
ing are to all intentS and purposes
of the 1916 model. Changes have
been made in them as forced by the
lessons of the war, but the navy
heads have not read those lessons
Through thoroughly. This is not my
expert 1t is based on the activities
of Great Britain and Japan. The first
named junked ships in course t
building and is now building ships
which, are bigger and more DoWIIs5Ti--
world before. Japan is doing the
same thing. We have added to the
weight of our armament and in
creased the ''honeycombing" as a
protection against submarine at
ourage-granting that battleships
are needed-to throw away obsolete
construction and begin anew.
That Great Britain and Japan need
battleshipS for home defense may be
conceded They could operate in
narrow waters at a short distance
from protected bases in the event
of any enemy being mad enough to
cross the seas to get at them. The
thousands Of miles of blue water
which divide us from our friends on
either side are held by the highest
naval authorities to be a sufficient
defense against any attack by bat
tIeships.
Underwater and Air Attacks
Those blue water miles would be
no defense at all against attack by
submarine Nor, in the very near
future, would they be a defense
against attack by air. Germany had
a Zeppelin almost ready to attack
the American coast at the time of
the armistice. A Zeppelin load of
bombs in New York would do as
much harm as a bombardment by a
battle squadron.
[ shall present figures showing the
vulnera bility of battleships agai1A t
attack from the air, even in the
present undeveloped state of the sci
ence of war from above, in the next
article For the present let me pass
on the suggestion of ranking officers
of our own navy as to the manner
in which the young American con-
gressmen might save money to the
treasury. Half of our new battle
ships are almost completed. 1t Will
cost little. comparatively to go ahead
with them. But work on the remain
in half Of the battleships now on
the ways might well be stopped for
the time being. Later on, If it seems
advisable, work can be resumed. But
lust now, with no war even remotely
probable, it hardly seems good bust
ness to 60 on building machines
which are Of such doubtful value.
Especially as five young men IN
Martin bomber can put any battle
shin in existence today out OF COM
mission in ten minutes.