The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-07-18


great sea powers of the world
should agree to cease authorizing
huge sums of money for building
battleships, America would remain
in second place, with Great Britain
first and Japan a rather poor third
These positions would result from
completion of the construction OF
ships already contracted for or
authorized.
The present building programs CT
the nations will not be compleIed
until about 1925 British losses
during the war would put the Unit
ed States very close to Great BTi-
tain in the matter OF tonnage of
ships of battle, the difference being
only about $4,000 tons. The rank
ing of the first three nations IN
ship tonnage when the present pro-
grams are completed would he
Great Britain, 100000; United
States, 1,650, 0G0; Japan. $4,000.
These tonnage figures include
only first line ships super-dreaj-
naughts, battle cruisers, scout
cruisers, destroyers, submarines,
ard a few special types of ships.
The figures do not include second
line battleships, ships whose age
or lower caliber armament has rem
Gered them virtually useless as
modern sea fighting machines.
The development of the dread
naught class made all earlier ves-
sells virtually useless. It was easy
to demonstrate that one of these
vessels, with greater speed and
much longer range guns, could
stand off and destroy whole feet
Of the type OF fighting ship which
preceded it.
Any comparison of national sea
Lpower must of course be relative
The introduction of the seaplane as
a fighting unit has put new light
on the whole situation, but many
naval experts still are insistent that
tie true comparative values Of the
navies of the world must be COM
puted from the tonnage of the ships
OF the first line, with particular
stress on the big gun vessels such
as battle cruisers and superdread-
naughtS.
So-called second line ships still
have their uses in war. The block
aiding of ports on coast lines, GER
tain kinds of patrol duty, and the
raiding of commerce carrying yes
sells has been demonstrated to be
an important part of maritime war
fare, and there are many vessels in
the navies of the world well fitted
for this kind of duty. This is par
ticularly true of the British navy.
On known figures, American big
gun power apparently is greater
than that of the British navy. How
ever, the number Of 16-inch guns
i'll the British navy is not known,
and may be large enough to swing
the balance in favor OF England
Big guns include those of 12-inch
bore and up.
Three Nayies EpitoniEed.
Latest figures show the strength
of the British navy, already built,
10 be as follows:
First line battleships, 26; second
line battleships, 20; first line bat
tie cruisers, G; second line battle
cruisers, 4; first line cruisers, .:
second line cruisers, 20; first line
light cruisers, "A; second line light
cruisers, "a; destroyer leaders, "a;
first line destroyers, 1874; second
line destroyers, AZ; first line sub
marines, II; second line sub
marines, sc; first line feet sub
marines. 10; second line fleet sub
marines, I; cruiser submarine, l;
monitor type submarines, 2; and
aircraft carriers, 6.
In addition to this array of YES
sells, Great Britain has tho follow
ing ships now building:
First line light cruisers, 5; de-
stroyer leader, |; first line destroy
ers, IL; first line feet submarines,
IS; and monitor type submarine, 1.
The total number of British ships
in commission listed above is III,
with an aggregate tonnage of g.
412,146. There are So ships under
construction, aggregating 1880
tons.
The American navy has in COM
mission the following vessels:
First line battleships, 10; sec
ond line battleships, Is; second line