The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1921-01-13
u.s. HAS DATA ON
RIVALS NAvIES
Table Shows Great Britain's Sea
Power Is Twice That OF
This Country.
IS OVERCOMING LEAD
American Strength More Than Double
That Of ~Japan-laek Of Cruisers,
Submarines and Destroyer
Leaders Noted.

Washington-What officials believe
to be complete information as to the
relative naval. strength OF the prfn-
cipal world powers is now in posses
sion of the American government.
Whether it will be presented to the
Senate foreign relations committee in
connection with that committees con-
sideration of proposals loking to world
disarmament has not been disclosed.
U. s. Overcoming Lead.
The information has been compiled
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 virtually will have
been overcome by the United States
with the completion in 1923 Of tho
American building program, the
American navy still will be greatly
inferior in types of vessels which ma
val officers regard Is extremely i'm
portant, notably destroyer leaders,
cruisers and light cruisers, cruising
submarines and airplane ships.
The American navy, according to
this information, has more than double
the strength of the Japenese navy, and
this ratio will be maintained eve with
completion of the building programs
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 doubled the number of battle
cruisers, now possessing four such ves-
sells with eight others projected, while
the United States has none completed
and only six building.
British Lead in Second Line.
Without reference to second line
ships, of which Great Britain has a
preponderance in all classes over the
United States and Japan, the British
navy contains twenty-six battleships
carrying at least ten guns each Of
12-inch caliber or larger, and displac-
ing 10000 tons or more. The United
States has sixteen such vessels, ia
pan six, France seven and Italy four.
Great Britain has no first line battle
ships under construction, while the
United States has eleven, Japan sev
en-, France four and Italy four.
The British navy, pioneer in the
development of the battle cruiser type,
still retains In easy advantage in this
generally regarded indispensable class
of modern ship-of-war with six first
line battle cruisers and four others
classed as second line" The United
States has none completed and six un
der construction, Japan four In SER
vice and eight projected. France and
Italy have no battle cruisers built or
building.
Cruiser Requirements High.
In compiling the figures as to
cruiser strength, rigid qualifications
were laid down for this type of ves-
sci. The requirements for first line
cruisers were declared to be large,
fast cruisers launched since January
/, 1901, capable of keeping station
with the battle feet. Neither the
United States. Japan, France nor Italy
has been able to meet the require
ment. Great Britain is credited with
| two such vessels in service, none un
der construction and twenty in the Sec
ond line" while the United States has
none under construction and ten In
the second line. Neither Japan,
France nor Italy has any such cruis-
ers built or building, although each
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