Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-20
WILL NEXT GREAT WAR
Be FOUGHT IN THE AIR
OR UNDER THE SEA?
Experiments in Hampton Roads
May Help Settle Question
Puzzling Experts.
RESULT MAY BE STARTLING
By Josephus Daniels.

Ry Josephus bapieis.
Former Secretary of the Navy, s9laI
TO 1921.
Copyright. 1871. by John r. Dille. Copy
rirhted by National Newspaper serves sss
throughout Europe, All rights reserved.
nclnang ranslaiien into f9rsga r,an I'm I'm
authorised reprlnting for any purpose for.
hidden.
The questions which are puzzling the
naval experts of the world may be an
swercd before midsummer at Hampton
roads.
What is Go bc the lighting craft Of the
future
Must the drcadnaughts be scrappcdt
Have the submarines and the aircraft
reyolutionized warfare
Nobody really knows yet. Many
opinions have been expressed. For
months In Great Britain where naval
matters are OF supreme Importance and
dominant interest With all the people
q controversy has waged in newspapers
and magazines as TO what should he
done with the drvaduaught.
There are those who say that the
submarine of the future will be as big
and powerful as the dreadnaught of
tsday. able t. fight with equal case
fud efficiency on the surface or be-
4th IL others tell us that ships as
and vastly more dangerous than
ndnuughts VIII ly in the air.
,onr az us can contradict these
ahtts. None of is is in any hunor
Ell, Il contradict them. The war
clvuatcd the possibility OF 50
ny sHumingly impossible things that
duty Is Paw the mark of wisdom
en ~ ere talking about what to-
IuN uay bring forth.
win "Take 10 the Woods"
But i these prophets are right; if
are going to see submersible ships
rs hig - tho Idaho or New Mexico, and
nNJaE monsters riyalins the Pennsyl-
,8nin ur tho Arizona. then all have 70
#it Is that il l am alive when such
.hngs COME about. | am going 10 feel
Hlg tht darky who vas in the congre-
ION when the colored preacher dis
.aised ON the two roads.
teu you, sinners shouted the
p + hcr there are just two roads 20
ti.. aup 81 them leads To he'll and
t..4au4tion and the other 10 everlasting
rrdition. Which road Will you take,
Neither one cried an excited hearer.
.Dis-yer nisger am agwine 70 take to
III, woods
when / discuss this question OF the
probable GrhtnS craft of the future 90
81 with reservation. ! am aware that
Ihepr are reservations which destroy
ana reservations which create. ] speak
u,t 81 the reservations 50 much dis
.ssd in 1920. when the senate was
:, tlng the league OF nations.
My reese rNation has indeed 70 do .-ith
40
uding with the other great nations Of
,ne world.
"The Best is Yet 60 Be-"
Thls applies. however. more TO guam
lI.y and cost of fighting craft than 10
G. pe and quality. For we must remem-
lrl that our generation need hope that
ihc world. and al parts OF the world.
viIl become SO amenable 10 reason that
Niu not be necessary TO maintain for
ume YEARS 10 come some kind Of police
ian on the sea. Even # all the great
lowers are wise enough 10 make an
-rcement which VIII provide for the ef-
tretive settlement OF disputes by inter-
national judgment. there viii still be
needed a sufficient mobile force 70 exc
cute the decree and 10 prevent warlike
notions from taking advantage OF those
uiCh reduce their armament
Sou viii note ] say "our" generation.
J am proud % belong 10 that despised
iass II people sometimes called ideal
ard sometimes called fools. who be-
4l,Nc the dream Of world freed from
war and the fear OF war VIII one Of
snese days come true. ! know that the
l4Iitarlsis think that an idealist and a
fool are one and inseperable; but l also
H. ~R,g
tnIy IN what they can see and touch
have always secuted and scorned the
faith q those who believe that the best
d set 10 BE-"
Ny reservation being understood.
return tc tho discussion Of the question
with which we began.
Navy On Water or in Air!
Are We to look for a navy il the fu-
ture which will fight in the air rather
than on the sea?
A few years ago-indeed until 19l4-
we thought Of a navy in terms of
dFeadnaughts and cruisers and destroy
ers and other surface craft. The sailing
ship Of the line in Nelson's day and the
chip Of the line in our day, prior to the
World War, differed mainly in that the
former used sails and fought at short
ar range. il is. of course, true that be-
fore 1914 submarines had been built
and some naval experts had regarded
them a. valuable auxiliaries of a power
ful fleet. But the Older officers, with q
few exceptions, looked upon them so
purely az auxiliaries that they were
treatc3 like red-headed stepchiidren in
naval administration.
When / became secretary of the navy
There We're a lot Of young men keen
about the possibility Of the submarine,
Hnt naval officers responsible for opera
lions mad given undersea craft no in
,lepcndcrt organization OF direction.
"a 1914 a civilian secretary Of the
3aNg. out Of civilian faith that new