The New York herald., 1921-12-26
Concession Made at Request.
of British, but Total Is
Unchanged.
U. s. NEEDS REHEARSED
Lack of Fuel and Personnel
Hampers Development Of
Efficiency.
BY eraser scHoRNsrHE1MER.

BY eraser SCHORNSTHEIMER
Special Dispatch to THE NEW York HERALD
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington. ID. O.. Dec. es.
A high naval authority has ex-
planned the allowance Of $1,000 tons as
the limit for each new capital ship
England may build under the revised
plan. And SO, for the first time since
the conference started, fair estimate
of the future situation can be made,
assuming that the revised plan will
be signed by the nations as II now
stands. And this seems entirely prob
able.
The new plan, according to my au-
thority, provides that the measure
ment Of all ships be reduced to the
same formula. That is the first con-
sideration. if the plan is to be fair.
Without such a regulation a nation
might consider a warship's tonnage
between too great limits.
Normal Load Displacement.
For instance, we consider the battle
ship Florida, which we retain under the
new plan, as having q normal load dis
placement of 21.S25 tons. We measure
for normal load displacement with a GER
tain percentage Of fuel and other sup
plies aboard. Without any fuel, other
supplies or ammunition aboard. this ship
would displace probably a little less
than $4,000 tons. Loaded to the ex-
~ a. 1k.t a
place around 10000 tons. The Ameri-
can normal load displacement will be
the measurement for the ships of all
nations.
American officials were Of the opinion
that $4,000 tons was far enough to go
In capital ships. The original plan pro-
vided for total tonnage OF 100000 for
both England and the United States and
100000 tons for Japan. 1t Is to be seen
that this did not work out evenly for
certain number OF ships, and so the fig
ures we're raised to $4,000 and $4,000
tons, providing for fifteen $4,000 ton
ships for Great Britain and the United
States and nine ships for Japan. 1t
Ia understood that England demanded
that larger ships be built, citing various
reasons, and so a concession OF Z, 900 ad-
ditional tons was made.
England may build just SO many ships
of this tonnage as she may wish, but
within her tonnage total. However, the
general impression Is that she will build
a certain number Of battle cruisers at
this figure-the battle cruiser has al
ways been larger than its contemporary
battlesh;p-plus a number OF hattieships
of Lesser tonnage. But she must keep
within the $4,000 ton limit This seems
to remove the last objection directly
within the subject of ratio and so il is
possible to estimate the future situation
Measure Of Emciency.
Lord Fisher once said, Men fight, not
ships" That Is very great truth.
While geographical position and other
than strictly military features will play
an important part In establishing the
strength of navics under the new plan.
H. sums down to the fact that fleet eff
cheney will be the measure of naval eff
cheney. The first requisite Is, Of course
men. The fully manned fleet will be the
best That Is In respect to both guam
tity and quality. Admiral Mahan gave
us n point to consider when he said.
Historically good mon in poor ships are
better than historically poor men in
good ships." However. Americans have
little to worry about in This respect, for
of all the worlds seamen ours seem
to be the quickest to learn and the
slowest to forget And SO it sums down
in the case OF America, to the number
OF men provided.
We may rest assured that the ships of
other nations will be well manned The
ships which could not be manned by the
British were scrapped even before the
arms conference. Japan keeps even her
very Oldest ships In full commission.
Ships dating from 1896 are now In full
service. That is certainly not the case
In the American Navy. An estimate was
prepared recently in order to show what
ships could be moved In the event fuel
could be provided for maneuvers without
the consent of Congress. 1t was found
that only five ships of the Atlantic fleet
and ten ships of the Pacific fleet could
go to sea, and these vessels with only
about 81 per cent. of their full crews.
Two hundred and thirty-five destroy
ers could not be moved. although there
are men aboard some of them. A great
number of these ships have but one and
some not a single commissioned officer
aboard Only one or two of the fifteen
cruisers could put to sea even with re-
duced compliments. The mine forces
and the submarine service are in the
same condition.
Only recently the Japanese held the
largest naval maneuvers in their history.
over a hundred ships of all classes. from
the newest ship. the Negato. to one of
the oldest. the Hizen. captured from
Russia, took part. The British carry out
their usual very complete maneuvers
every year
navy Needs Rehersed.
Not only does lack OF personnel ham
per Americas present navy--and it's fu-
ture navy under the new plan will be
much larger--but also lack Of fuel. After
the middle of next month hardly a sim