The Colorado statesman., 1921-03-12
SOME SAY BUILD sATTlEsHlPS
WHILE OTHERS WANT GREAT
VESSELS scRAPPED.
MEN OF ARMY TAKE A HAND
They, Like Admiral Sims, Believe
Country Needs Big Air Fleet Ratner
Than More Dreadnaushts-somo'no
Tests viii Be lnauaurated.
au EnMARp 3. CLARK.

are not the only ones who disagree
on occnsion. Just now the doctors
of tl,. navy In Washington are as fur
apart as Byzantium from Spain on
proper future navy policy. one sci
of doctors says build big battleships''
while another says "scrap big battle
ships"
Frequently the army and navy di'ter
widely in their views as to what
should be done along lines of mill
tary policy. Today the army Is with
a part of the navy. while another part
of the navy, and perhaps the greater
mart. stands alone in its contention for
battleship building.
Brig. Gen. William Mitchell, q. 5. A..
is the chief of the training and opera
ton divisions of the land air forces.
He insists that what the country needs
is a greater air fleet, and not a greater
navy as represented by big battle
ships.
Rear Admiral william S. Sims, who
during the war was commander of the
American naval forces in European
waters and who has been considered
an authority on sea matters for many
years, stands with General Mitchell IN
his contentious that the greater~nee
of the country is a big air fleet and
not n greater fleet of dreadnaughts.
Succinctly, General Mitchell has said
our aircraft strength must be SUPERIOR
or 1--WE will be shot out of the water.
Most of the senator's do not agree
with Admiral Sims and General
Mitchell. The program for great
navy unquestionably eventually is to
be put through. Unless war snail
come, no one perhaps ever may know
which of the two contending factions
was right in its position on this sea-
fleet and air-heet matter, but 1t Is pos
sible that even in peace time the
drcadnaughts of sea and land may he
able to demonstrate that they can hit
the mark every time with their Domos.
Can't Stop Until Japan Does.
If Japan, the one great nation be-
sides the United States which is en-
gnged in such work, were not going
ahead with its big battleship plans,
IL is possible that the United States
Immediately would cancel the provi-
sions of the battleship program. Or
course, no one says that this is the
reason that the United States is going
ahead with the work, but there Is
feeling that so long as one nation
with whom hostilities are possibility,
even though a remote possibility, Is
building, the United States must be
prepared ito meet possibilities.
The other night at the Army and
Navy club the writer had few min
utes' talk with General Mitchell. The
differences of opinion on the battle
ship and air-neet subjects were not
discussed. but General Mitchell said
that today the men in the air could
drop bombs so as to hit small mark,
and could do it time after time, so to
speak handrunning.
Those of the navy who believe In
big battleships belittle the claim of
the air fleet men that the great craft
can be put out of business in short
order. and they also reject the opin-
ions of their own chief naval officer on
this subject, Rear Admiral Sims.
The navy men who do not think
that aircraft can "do their big ships
up" certainly have the courage of
their sailor convictions. 1t has been
suggested that some. obsolete or near
obsolete battleship be towed to sea
and that test be made of the abil-
ity of the airplane men to hit them
with their bombs OF course the ships
would be maneuvered as they would
be in a battle against airplanes.
officers Defy the Air Bombers.
Touching the matter of the courage
of the convictions of the naval officers
who believe that the day of the big
ships is not ended, it may be said
that they have agreed to man big
battleship and to let the air fleet try
to get them" with actual high explo-
sive bombs. 1t is not likely that this
offer will be accepted, but it shows
the confidence of the navy men that
their air brethren cannot do what
they say they can do.
1t is probable that before long some
battleships whose usefulness is gone
will be towed to sea, there to become
target for real bombs from on high
The object OF these tests will be def
nitely TO determine what airplane
bombs can do to big ship, hitting it
as they will on its upper decks and
upper works. Some navy men declare
that bombs striking n vessel in this
way cannot do it great damage, and
that armor and other defenses can
protect the guns.
Nine Months to Build Tariff Bill.
Joseph w. Fordney, chairman OF
the ways and means committee
of the house, has declared in
public statement that it requires nine
months of careful consideration and
debate to enact proper tariff legisla-
ton This means, if the Michigan
n tive is r.iarht ho