Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-01-08
WASHINGTON GETS
STARTLING DATA ON
WORLD SEA POWER
American Navy Has More
Than Double Strength
of Japan.
BRITISH PREPONDERANcE
TO BE REDUCED BY 1923
United States Lacking in De-
stroyer Leaders, Cruisers
and Other Ships.
ENGLISH sUBslERsIBLEs LEAD
This Country Has Total of $50
First-Linc Ships Against Brit
aims 532 and Japan's 43.
ENGLISH sUBMERsIBLEs LEAD
This Country Has Total of $50
First-Linc Ships Against Brit
aims 532 and Japan's 43.
tBy Associated Press.

o.
WASHINGTON. Jan. T.-what Of
feials believe to be complete infor-
nation as to the relative naval
strength OF the principal world pow
ers is now in possession OF the Aueri-&
can government. whether it will be
presented to the Senate Foreign Rc-
iations Committee in connection with
that committees consideration OF
proposals looking to world dissrma-
ments has not been disclosed.
The information has been com
piled 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 pre-
ponderance in capital ships will prac-
tically have been overcome by tho
United States with the completion m
1929 of the American building pro-
gram. the American navy will still
be greatly inferior In types of yes
sells which naval officers regard as
extremely important. notably de-
stroyer leaders. cruisers and light
cruisers. cruising submarines and
airplane ships.
The American navy today. accord
than double the strength OF the Jap
anese navy md IL s. :htio will be
maintained even wit IS. he completion
OF the building progASms OF the two
countries The United States will -bc
far superior no. only In capital ships
hut also in destroyers and subma-
rines, Japan. however. will have
double the nurther OF battle cruisers
now possessing four such vessels with
eight others projected. while tho
United States has none completed ana
only six building.
Second-Line Strength.
Without reference to second-Iino
ships, OF which Great Britain has a
preponderance In NIL classes over the
United States and Japan. the British
navy contains twenty-six battleships
carrying at least ten guns each Of
twelve-inch caliber or larger, ana
displacing 10000 tons or more. Tho
United States has sixteen such ves-5
sells. Japan six. France seven and
Italy four. Great Britain has no
first-line battleships under construc-
tion. while the United States has
eleven, Japan seven, France four and
Italy four.
The British navy. pioneer in the
development of tho baltic cruiser
typo, still retains an easy advantage
in this generally regarded ind!spen-
sable class of modern ships of war
with six irst-line battle cruiser and
four others ciassed as "second-line."
The United states has none complstea
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 as TO
cruiser strength rigid qualifications
were laid down for this type OF vcs-
sci. The requirements for frst-iine
cruisers were declared to be .'largc,
fast cruisers launched since January
!, 1901. capable of keeping station
with the battle fleet" Neither the
United States, Japan. France nor
Italy has any able To meet this re-
quirement. 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 ms second l:ne.'.
In light cruiser strength Great
brttain leads all other nations by
large margin with Japan second. and
the United States, a poor third. Tho
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