The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-02-06
Appliances and Capital Ships.

| Appliances and Capital Ships.
It was Great Britain which bore
the brunt OF the war afoat and as a
result Of grim experience Great Brit
ain. after centuries OF stalking the
security Of an empire ON ships OF
the line, grants that naval supremacy
no longer rests with tho superdread-
nought
It was Admiral Srxs who com.
manded our naval fighting forces IN
tie crffnsoned waters Of western Eu-
rope, and after studying tirst hand
and on tho spot the Increasing work
and the growing value Of the modern
weapons submarines and airplanes.
Admiral SIMs warns the United
States Government that the effective
ness of the capital ship has been
greatly reduced by the marvellous de-
velopment OF aviation, with Its planes,
which are the eyes Of both armies
and 'navies and as well engines Of
terrible destruction.
Meanwhile, as Great Britain pro-
| ceeds largely TO scrap her capital
ships, our Government goes on with
programme to build capital ships
as we never dreamed OF building
them before. When Admiral SIMS
protests the impartial American critic
cannot overlook the fact that he did
not learn his lessons Of up 10 date
sea power in Washington bureaus but
in the very heart Of the naval war.
When Admiral F1sKE and others af-
firm the protests Of Admiral SIMS
the American bystander who knows
his history cannot forget that it was
| Washington bureaucracy which, be-
| fore our civil war, insisted on cling
| ing to the old wooden frigate when
the ironclad came TO challenge first
| its dominance and then its very ex-
istence. He cannot forget that it was
across the dead body Of such bureau
crazy, so to speak, that the monitor
was forced into the national crisis to
stop the till then naval successes and
triumphs Of the South.
As far back as June, 1917, when
we were Just getting into the war of
wars. this newspaper called for all
the airplanes our money, our genius
and our enterprise could contribute
to the sure and quick winning Of the
struggle. We said then:
''The airplane service might well
be 80 expanded as TO include two
distinct branches. one to do the
| work the sirplane ia now doing. but
| TO do It on greatly enlarged scale;
tho other branch. a branch of enor-
nous numerical strength. 20 be as
signed to bombing raids on tho enemy
forces, tho enemy lines OF transpor-
tation, the enemy submarine bases.
the enemy navy"
What we said then we have tier
ated and reiterated as tho progress,
the results and the lessons of the
war have driven those truths home
over and over again. We never meant
that the capital ships must be aban-
doned so long as any other sea power
maintained capital ships. Those officers
OF war experience who tell the coun-
try now that the highly developed
power OF the bombing planes goes far
to put the broadsids power of the
capital ships out OF commission do
not mean that We should scuttle all
our dreadnoughts in being and burn
the plans of all not yet In being. They
do not question that If we are to be
sea power &c to meet any other on
whatever terms and conditions we
must be a properly balanced sea
power With capital ships TO match
capital ships, submarines to match
submarines, and destroyers to match
destroyers.
But we cannot be properly bal
anced sea power IL we have all that
other naval strength yet lack air
planes TO match airplanes with any
nation that may draw the sword
against us. Hanging to the capital
/ ships now Of diminished use and
value. we cannot fail TO keep pace
with the most modern war engines,
whatever they be, without counting
a hazard as great as when our pre-
vious burcaucrats opposed the urg-
ings Of tho simses Of those days to
pit invinciblc lronclads against the
Anticipated wooden frigates.
/ c -U II TT