The Cordova daily times., 1921-03-03
NAVY SUPREME
 IN FOUR YEARS
 IF OTHERS QUIT
BY COL. WINFIELD JONES

WASHINGTON, March 3.-,(Special COrrespondence).- .-'Agitation for dis armament, or at least a reduction of naval construction, has reached large proportions, not only in this country but abroad. The reason for this is plain-a desire for reduction of the crushing taxes that are caused by up- keep of armies and navies.
 This propaganda naturally leads to discussion of the naval strength of the various first-class powers, partic- ularly the United States, Great Brit. ain, and Japan.
 Accurate statistics of the strength of the three nations named are hard to obtain, but enough is known to give fair survey of the compara- tive naval strength of the three great powers.
 The British navy still holds first place among the navies of the world. The United States, next after Eng land, has gained the place of second naval power in the world. Next Is Japan, Germany, once the second naval power, as result of the war, has been stripped of her navy, hasn't got as many warships as even the Russian Bolsheviki.
 In 1914, before the World war be. gan, the British had twenty-one mod ern battleships and were then biuld- ing twelve others. In 1919, after the armistice Great Britain had thirty five completed modern battleships.
 In 1914 the United States had nine modern battleships and was then building five. In 1919 the United States possessed seventeen modern battleships and was building six more, which when completed gives a total of twenty-three.
 In 1914 Japan had one modern bat tleship and was building three. In 1919 Japan had seven battleships and was building two.
 The figures quoted do not show the number of submarines, battle cruis- | CTS, ordinary cruisers, and other naval vessels, but the proportion of these auxiliary ships, and also battle cruisers, was about the same in the three nations, compared with the bat tie ships
 According to both British and three years away-the United States will be ahead of both Great Britain and Japan in number of first class battleships and naval tonnage. Tn that year the United States will have thirty-five battleships; Great Britain will have thirty-six, and Japan will have seventeen. But as only eight of the American ships will be sec ond class, while eighteen Of the British ships will be second class, the American naval strength, in capital ships, will be far ahead of that of Great Britain.
 Naval tonnage in 1924 will be as follows: United States, 1,150,65 Great Britain, 8S3,296; Japan, 497,. $50.
 These figures are not subject to change because it takes three years to build a first or second class dread. naught. If Great Britain or Japan were now to lay down double the number of ships they have on the stocks the United States could still keep the lead it will have in 1924 by simply starting construction of an equal number as laid down by Japan and the British. In other words the United States is destined to be in 8 few years, the leading naval power of the globe, if the present building program is not halted by anything so senseless, many observ- CTS here believe, as the Borah resolu- tion to stop all naval construction.
 A study of the figures for 1924 shows that in that year the United states Will De nearly a third more powerful in naval tonnage than Great Britain, and more than twice as pow erful as Japan. American naval ton n"ge in that year will be almost as great as that of Great Britain and Japan combined. The American navy in 1924 will have arrived at the proud position once held by Great Britaiu-that is a two standard power" meaning that the American navy will be almost as powerful as the combined navies of the next two strongest nations. The two stand ard power" navy position was long held by Great Britain, but the United States is now headed in the direc- iN,1 !,