The New York herald., 1921-01-08
SECRET NAVYDATA
OFWHOLE WORLD
OBTAINED BY US.
America With New War
ships in 1923 Will Be In
ferior to Britain.
BIG LEAD ON JAPAN
Toxic, Though, Will Have
Double the Number of
Our Battle Cruisers.
q. s.. WEAK UNDER WATER
London Has Undersea Fleet OF
1853 Vessels and Far Ahead
in First Line Craft.
Q. S. WEAK UNDER WATER
BIZ the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
WASHINGTON. Jan. 7.-What officials
believe to be complete information OF
the relative naval strength OF the
principal world Powers Is in possess
sion of the American Government.
Whether it will be presented to the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
in connection with that committees
consideration of proposals looking to
world disarmament has not been dis
closed.
The information has been complied In
the form Of tables which show that Great
Britain's sea power is double that Of the
United States and that although the
British preponderance In capital ships
practically will have been overcome py
the United States with the completion
in 1923 of the American building pro-
gramme. the American navy still VIII De
greatly inferior In types Of vessels which
naval officers regard as extremely I'M
portant. notably destroyer leaders. cruis-
ers and light cruisers, cruising suDna-
rines and airplane ships.
The American Navy to-day. according
to this information, has more than
double the strength of the Japanese
navy and this ratio will be maintained
even with the completion of the build
ing programme of the two countries.
The United States will be far superior
not only in capital ships but also in
destroyers and submarines. Japan,
however, will have double the number
of battle cruisers, now possessing four
such vessels. with eight others pro-
sected, while the United States has
hone completed and only six building.
Drftnfn's Large ships.
without reference to second line ships.
of which Great Britain has prepon-
derance In all classes over the United
States and japan, the British Navy
contains 26 battleships carrying at least
ten guns each of ~ inch calibre or
larger and displaying 20,660 tons or
more The United States has Is such
vessels, Japan 6, France and Italy 4.
Great Britain has no first line battle
ships under construction. while the
United States has IL, Japan z. France
and Italy f.
The British navy. pioneer in the de-
velopment of the battle cruiser type.
still retains an easy advantage in this
generally regarded Indispensable class
Of modern ships of war with six first
line battle cruisers and four others
classed as Second line" The United
states has none completed and six under
construction, Japan four in service and
eight projected. France and Italy have
no battle cruisers built or building.
In compiling the figures on cruiser
strength rigid qualifications were laid
down for this type of vessel. The
requirements for first line cru isers were
declared to be Large, fast cruisers
launched since January /. 1901. capable
of keeping station with the battle fleet"
Neither the United States. Japan. France
nor Italy has been able to meet this
requirement. Great Britain Is credited
with two such vessels In service, none
under construction and twenty in the
second line. while the United States has
none under construction and ten in the
second line. Neither Japan. France nor
Italy has any such cruisers built or
building, although each nation has few
obsolete cruisers classified as second
line"
Although the United States is Great
Britain's only serious competitor In the
matter of submarine strength, there Ia
no evidence in tables OF anything ap-
preaching equality In this branch Of
naval strength. England has II first
line submarines In service. Sc In the
second line, Is first line fleet sub
fnertlDleS ana SeCOuu Hiiet OHc tibiseA
submarine and two monitor type sub
mersibles mounting IL inch gun, and
another building.
Poor U. $. Showing Undersens.
Against this great undersea fleet Of
165 vessels the United States could OPP
pose a total of ninety-sfx submarines
of all types, divided into fifty-two first
line and forty-four second line short
radius craft, two feet submarines and
no cruiser submersibles. with forty-six
others Of various types authorized. The
United States has none Of the great
monitor submersibles mounting turret
guns either built or building.
A recapitulation of the figures shows
that the January /, 1921, strength OF
the three principal naval Powers In first
line major ships (battleshps and battle
cruisers) mounting guns of 1875 inon
calibre or greater is as follows:
Great Britain. twenty-eight vessels OF
1885, tons; United States. ten vessels
Of 100000 tons, and Japan, nine vessels
of 267.520 tons
This compilation excludes capital ships
mounting guns Of less than 1915 inch
calibre because OF their low rate OF
efficiency IN molern battle.
The projected strength Of the same
three Powers at the end OF 1923 In cap
ital ships within the same limitations as
10 calihre Of guns. on the basis of pres.
ent projected building. is fixed at:
Great Britain. IS ships, totalling 723l-
ESQ tons; United States, 2s ships OF
9s3.O00 tons. and Japan. 16 ships OF
b2S.920 tons.
The total first line ship strength OF
tho three Powers January Is placed
as follows
Great Britain, sag ships OF 1.601.e52
.ons United States, $50 vessels of 766,-.
773 tons and Japan, 43 ships OF 34O,5s6