The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-11-09
Japan Exce|s
j. s. In Battle
Cruiser Class
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
,CnI ,>.sGt by The ln,eGisencrrl

Wa~h;1Eton. Nov.S-- Ba,S o. the
scenes Nere t&c American naIa' iTu-
crar, y hcirG mapped out for presnn;a-
ton 10 tho conference on the limitation
- srm7ment. there, an interesting
u srlSSior so;Hg or as = the value OF
lattto c-uiscrS. IAN the United States
o,f"r,! - let Japan excel n this type
e" cSse'. which ever since the battle
o' .rut;ard has stirred Gr naval critics:
There are TWO schools or thought -
those W." hc'ir.e the hnt;isSutp :s the
craft tat must eventually bear the
hrunt ~ ser struggle, and t""se Who
believe ~; without battle cruisers the
I'"''rl states cHrnot hupe 20 compete
with Jarap IN the Pacific.
Irs t'utn * the United states has
y ra,t," cruisers building. and woald
s"t"r ihe ,oniiay conference with much
mere ease oC mind IL those vessels
were already in commission. For many
,aprS the mONc"Ient for reduction OK
armament hos suffered because the
leading nava! powers did NOT wish 20
place trer,ecIyes na IN inferior bass.
The present tendency o. the powers is
o. preserve t,S rat" NJ strength that
eN!stS hut cut down the expense OK
useless sh;pS-thet 10. ships wh'ch
would h.. rse!c$s x everybody agreed 10
DISPOSE o: auxiliary craft now on, OF
;atH.
II japan Strongsr7
rs Janan stronger than the United
States ~ the sea" The actual statistics
would seem 20 SHOW the United States
aS superior. hu: the naval experts are
sEert.cal Tray SAY the battle OF 1ut-
hand rev0lut'Un!zed "yerl thing that
the hattie cruiser is vital And u;
eorrSe cre United states - weak in
trat direction. though opinions may
=. Yer ~ 70 whether the weakness could
he overcome by the rCe7onde:nnc" or
Ll:t.cSa!pG
>ny,va,. I. - essential in order 70
.raw jas; wEs. .ha aava, experts a-s
,....-:- 7lou:. TO stIGy the official fg-
r.~r INK the latest aU,he1t.c -
t,. .rsi "a - n the strength ~ tn
- l"Ia.rE naval covers. Here tHey
az
n~l,,.nU.S. Japan France I;a.y
Ea'; ;e-'..s
t"I: ; =
F.->t Ire
Hs''": s@ ~: : IS ; ? .
,;-.''e 49, --S
=. =.
-.
N~'"os
."4 n
y "
,:. ....cr-
=, - 20 ) II
= .. ,r;rs the foregoing ,abe /.
- =. sou ;lat Ia ~ has already in
""'" 49,. tn''~ crT'"rs. wni'H. wh!e
= &C r-c.r'it'ard tyre. are considered
@.r'"ah'" asset II tie pa''Nc The
- g. 'yrr a. r"<sr, betUr III irh faSt"c
- - bates! 10. can get IN tHrma-
~ -, L:aw OFT e0em. vessels. and
-. Z ,rho's Tot ~ dariaKs in p.e!:Tr-
lrr.. w.. TIE Ir"9ucse bate cru!s-
s"S .vr',f -. under construction are
>..,!,r :" trA A,ac 'iSan ships. Ja:an.
:u,"r e. IS hu..iiaE e'Ght and ~"
"!.al StatHS nal, s;N. 90 that Japan.
y'.% tot~l x twelve battle cruisers.
vn.rd .3"c virtually double tn"
..-sn:>N nc ,Nr United StTt"s. assuming
- course that the ":ewno;nt o, the
svpc-;S no pace cornp'.te ta:.h IN the
battle cruiser - accepted
unsaslnsss in o. ..
t'a-ta there !. unNos ness IN o.
ncai c,rc'es about u. pu' ~ 'as NIX
weil aIons. Bat tho navs! experts in
>iSt thai any program % reduction
uuEht not 10 interfere with, the opp"r-
t.r:c.. Of Toe un'teG States 70 place
re-se,r at least on m equ2' footing
With Japar IN tne matter o! battle
cruisers. VITA respe"t 20 destrhyers
and submarines. the tinted States II
far ahead "t japan. but the difference
m number, msans very Nttls II tho
-, ~
Eastern waters where Jaran poSsesses
40 man naval base. Destroyers and
summarizes seven Thousand miles from
hcnr ~ not a. effective as those with
a base thr"e hundred miles away.
where WIN ths 1aes 8eopf
Japan has come out with a nat state
men, tina, .hr wants her navy 10 be
s1uai tae $40 OF any feet now in tho
Pacific. on 'te surface that seems
,.diral statement Bat she has pract!-
cslly reached American naval strength
roY on the battle cruiser program. As
ror hatteahlps. tho United states has
to;al Of twenty-ssven as compared
VITA Jdpan's thirteen. but tho United
states doeSH', keep all It's batt!eships
In the Pac!fc. Also. tho Japaness have
built the "Nagato." which is the larg-
est AMI most powerful batt.eship
.noat. ard moro effective than anything
the I nteh states mas completed.
sister ship. tho "Mutsu." IS about to be
launched Both vessels mount eighteen
inch guns The United states has
.ome under construction OF a similar
class Where shall the race stop" The
official figures Just available also show
that out Of a total national expenditure
Great Britain Is spending Sh percent
On naval armament. vhils tho United
States is spending - percent. France
percent. Italy ~ percent and Japan
SO percent. Limitation Of expense IL
m, objective. With these pe-cen:s
.tartng them In the face. American
naval experts know they must present
, radical program 10 satisfy American
o,InIon. They would like to do ard
,,i,l keep the battle cruisers. So the
answer 10 tho problem Is not Yet In
sight.
FXI W1Af"R