South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-05-15

Of tho world may be answered before midsummer
Hampton roads.
What to be the fighting the future.
Must the dreadnaughts be strapped?
Have the submarines and the aircraft revOutionized
warfare?
Nobody really knows yet. Many opinions have been
expressed For months IN Great Britain where naval
matters are of supreme importance and dominant in
terest with all the people. controversy has in
the newspapers and magazines to what should be
done with the dreadnaught.
There are those who say that the submarine OF the
future will be big and powerful the dreadnaught
OF today able 10 fight with equal and efficiency on
the surface beneath IT, Others tell that ships
big and vastly dangerous than dreadnaughts will
Ply in the air.
None US can contradict these prophets None Of
us is in humor to try to contradict them The
demonstrated possibility OF many seemingly
possible things that credulity is the wis
dom when we are talking about what tomorrow may
WILL TAKE TO THE WOODS"
But il these prophets right; if going
ico and flying monsters rivaling the Pennsylvania
the Arizona then all have say is that if
when such things about. going 10 fell like
the darby who in the congregation when the COL
ored preacher discoursed the two roads.
Il tell sinners" shouted the preacher, there
just roads to take: One Of them leads to hell and
damnaton and the other to everlasting perditon Which
Will you take?"
Neither one" cried an excited hearer "Dis-yer mig
ger agwine to take to the woods!"
When discuss this question Of the probable fighting
craft OF the future I do so with reservations I
aware that reservations which destroy and
reservations which create. speak not of the
much discussed in 1920, when the senate
debating the League of Nations.
My reservation has indeed to do with a league or al
association understanding with the ether great
nations OF the world.
THE BEST is YET TO BE"
applies however. more to quantity and cost Of
fighting craft than to type and quality. For must
remember that generation need hope
world, and all parts OF the world will become so
amenabe to that It will be necessary to
maintain for some years to come some kind of police
the Even if all the great powers are wise
enough make agreement which provide
the effective settlements Of disputes by international
judgment there will still be needed sufficient mobile
the decree and prevent warlike
tions from taking advantage OF those which reduce
their
will say our" generation. 1 am proud to
belong to that despsed class OF people called
ideaIists sometimes called fools who believe the
dream OF world freed from and the fear
will one Of these days come true. 1 know that the
militarsts think that idealist and a fool
and inseparable; but also know that those who put
their trust only in what they and touch have
always Of those who pc
Heve that "the best is yet to be-"
Ny reservation being understood return to the dis
cussion Of the question with which began.
NAVY ON WATER OR IN AIR?
Are we to look for navy in the future which will
fight in the air rather than the sea
A few years ago-indeed until 191 f. we thought of
navy in terms of dreadnaughts and cruisers and
destroyers and other surface craft. The sailing ship
OF the line in Nelson's day and the ship Of the line
in day prior the world war differed mainly i'm
that the former used sails and fought
1t is of course that before 1914 submarines had
been built, and naval experts had them
as valuable auNliaries of powerful fleet But the
officers. with exceptions. upon them
purely auxiliares that they like
headed stepchildren in naval administration
When I became secretary OF the navy there were a
lot young about the possibility of the sub
marine responsible for operations had
given undersea craft independent organization
rectiOn.
In 1914 a civilian secretary of the navy. out of