The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-05-15
"SCRAPED ALL THE
 DREADNAUGHTS"


 navy.
 "SCRAPED ALL THE
 DREADNAUGHTS"
 Shortly before his death--which oc- cured only few months ago-Lord Fisher who had retired from active service, told the British public, and as much of the world as cared to listen, that the submarine had scrapped all the dreadnaughts-jus as the dread naughts had drove all prior warcraft Into the naval discard.
 Sir Perry Scott and other retired of ficers in Great Britain and America agree with the late Lord Fisher, Gen eral Mitchell-or, "AdmiraP-an army officer who essays to qualify as q na- val expert, has advised Congress to spend all the money at it's disposal oD big fight-ships of the air. But no responsible naval .officers charged with maintaining naval eff ciehcy, have shared these extreme views.
 An important question which must l be answered before there can be a final settlement of the dispute con- cerns the probable effectiveness of the airship in attack upon dreadn1ught. What chance has dreadnaught of be- ing sunk by bombs dropped from above? On this point as yet we have no reliable data.
 FAIL TO SINK BATTLESHIP Last year the navy tried some ex- perments in order to test the effect of bombs upon battleship. We used the Indiana, an antiquated craft without value except for some such demonstra- tioE purpose. Bomos were dropped upon her form an airplane. They were loaded with heavy explosives, and they did, in some cases, pretty serious dam age, But they did not sink her. She took the punishment and remained aflcat until other bombs, placed under water, exploded with such force that several seams in the ships bottom were ripped loose.
 l This, however, was no test of what would actually happen in a fight be- tween an airplane and a dreadnaught. The Indiana was anchored, and had no anti-aircraft guns She made neither an attempt to escape nor to return the fire of her attackers. She merely lay there while aviators circled above her and practiced dropping bombs on her at their leisure
 | In actual 9warefare the dreadnaught would be steaming at full speed, with pre- bably a zigzag course. She would be turning antiaircraft guns on the at tacking plane. 1t is open to question whether the bomb troopers would make many hits-or any. Even in the case of the stationary and non resist ing Indiana, the percentage of hits was small
 RESULT MAY BE STARTLING
 It is this point of what would hap pen in actual warfare that will be tried out at Hampton roads some time before next July. It may prove to be an epoch making event, and Hampton roads may establish certain facts which will revolutionize naval warfare as the fight of the Monitor and Merrl- mac on that same stretch of water re- volutionized it in 1882
 One of my last acts as Secretary of the Navy was to direct that certain of the German ships which were turned over to us and which unoer the agreed terms, must be destroyed, should be used in a series of experi- merits in which airmen should attempt to destroy them.
 The Secretary of War joined me in asking the joint board of the army and navy to work out plans by which the experiment should be conducted in a way to truly test whether the aero-
 
 business. The plans were perfected and the test will be made. | When I had given the order for this test, the newspaper men asked me if l there would be any sailors on the Idreadnaughts when the tests were made. I answered by saying that in a fair test between the surface craft and the aircraft I would volunteer my- self, and guarantee to put crew on board the ship. T do not think those who fought the bomber would be doomed to destruction" I said. They at least, would have a sporting chance"
 | Nobody can predict what the shin of tomorrow will be. We can not fore See the developments of flight or the full possibilities of the submersible Every new weapon of destruction calls forth it's counter weapon.
 SAYS WATT AND SEE My own advice would be-if the ad- vice of an ''ex" is ever wanted-"Wait until the big experiment. is pulled off at Hampton roads before deciding what the ship of the future is to be. 2 And then-in spite of Lord Fishers s cocksureness that the big ship is head ing for innocuous desuetude-do not scrap any weapon that sails on the sea dives under the sea or sails in the air All three are safer than dependence on any one alone.
 Having discussed the serious and important problem at some length, let me finish this article by relating two stories told me by Lord Fisher at a banquet which was given in my honor by the Methodists of Great Britain. [ have never seen these stories any, where in print.
 King Edward had great fondness for Fisher, and promoted him to be first sea lord, the summit of every British naval officers ambition. "I had not been first lord long" Fisher said to me at this dinner when one day King Edward sent for me. Of course, appeared promptly and, after some talk about naval matters, for the king was keen about the navy, King Edward suddenly said to me:
 My appointment of you as first lord has brought me more unpopularity than any act of mine since l became king"
 KING PICKS A WINNER"
 Lord Fisher paused a moment to let me take it in, for he had the talent of an actor as well as of the good story teller Naturally, wondered what re- ply subject could make to his king who had seemed to regret an honor he