Norwich bulletin., 1921-01-08

What officials believe to be complete in formation as to the relative naval strength of the principal world powers ]. now in possession of the American Government. Whether it will be pre- sented to the senate foreign relations committee in connection with that com mittee's consideration of proposals look ing to world disarmament has not been disclosed. me information has been compiled in .h. forrn of tables which show that crs.t Britain's sea power is double that os inc United States and that although the British preponderance in capital snips ,rui. practically have been overcome by ,be United States with the completion in Isaa of the American building program. inc American navy will still be greatly ;1f.rIor in types of vessels which naval ofscers regard as extremely important, notably destroyer leaders, cruisers and light cruisers cruising submarines and sirplane ships.
 The American navy today. according to tbis- information, has more ehan double he strength of the Japanese navy and this ratio will be maintained even with the completion Of the building programs of the two countries The United States will be far superior not only in capital shins but also in destroyers and sub ruarine@- IaEoAAs -tOTSsfSAt NNA- bla inc number Of battle cruisers, now possessing four such vessels with eight o-bers protected while the United States has none completed and only six build ing.
 Without reference to second line ships, os which Great lIritain has preponder- ance in all clzssts over the Gnit~i States and Japan, the British navy contains 26 battieshir= carrying at least ten guns each of I2-inch calibre or larger and dis plscing 10000 tons or more The United states has IS such vessels. Japan six. France seven and Italy four. Great Bri ain has no first line battleships un- der construction while the United States has il, Japan seven, France four and Italy, four.
 The British navy. pioneer in the de- vslopfnent of the battle cruiser type. still r~fains an easy advantage in this gen erzIiy regarded indispen fible class of modern ships of war with six first line batGe cruisers and four others chased as -second line The United States has none completed and six under construc- ,tiou, Japan four in service and eight projected. France and Italy have nc battle cruisers built or building.
 In compiling the figures as to cruiser strength. rigid qualifications were laid down for this type of vessel. The re- qulrements for first line cruisers were declared to be large" fast cruisers launched since January-1, 1901, capable of keeping station with the battle fleet Neither the United States. Japan. France nor Italy have any abla to meet this re- quirement. Great Britain is credited witf two such vessels in service. none under construction. 20 In the second line, while the United States has none under con r4~urffor feu in ha xecaud line Net ther Japan. France nor Italy has any such cruisers built or building. although each nation has a few obsolete cruiser. classified as second line"
 Tn light cruiser strength Great Brit ai1 leads all other nations by larg, margin. with Japan second and the Unit cd States a poor third. The British nav, has A light cruisers in the first line, 2 in the second line and five under con strue;ion. Japan has six ouch vessels il service and nine under construction while the United States has three ship built as scou. cruisers designated a light cruisers of the second line" an ten light cruisers of the Omaha class un der construction. France has four frs lnc light cruisers in service and si building. and Italy five in service an none b1iiding. Several of the French an Italian ships were obtained from the for mer German navy.
 Great Britain is shown to be the onl nation with any destroyer leaders. havin 24 such vessels with a speed of 30 knot and up. and a min imum displacement lSeo tons and another building. Neitht Japan nor the United States has any i. EtToyer leaders under construction, 9fi France has F building and Italy five
 Despite the United States great wa line destroyer building programm Great Britain still maintains a prepo dsrSnce ojn both first and second lii vessels of this type. In the first lii classification the British navy has 5: dsstroyers built ard II building u United States, 2e0 in service and, 2 a thorlzed but not under construction Japan eT built, Is under construction al nrooably 90 others authorized Fran 70 coHoieted and one building, and Ita 10 Ia service and II authorized
 Although the United States is Gre bri7tns only serious competitor in | matter of submarine strength, there no evidence in the tables of anything a preaching equality in this branch of n val strength when England has T fl lien submarines in service, e6 in t second line. IS first line fleet subrner oies and second line, one cruiser su marine and two monitor type sltbmer oies mounting le inch gun. and anott oNHuihE Against this great unders neet of 1s5 vessels the United Sta could oppose a total of 9s submarir or all types divided into 52 first line a t4 second line short-radious craft. t neet suomarines and no cruiser subme iotes with 4e others of various types thorized. The United States. has nc of the monitor suomersibies n4puntinr men turret guns either built or bui lng, Japan has no first Iae suSnariI of any class. She has 10 second l rnoTt radius vessels. but no fleet cru !nE CT monitor types, although about tuonersfhles of all classes have been tnirized- France has 63 sub1na rines service of all types and none buildi and Italy a2 built and eight building
 recapitulation of the figures she mat the January 1, 1921 strength of
 three principal naval forces in first major ships, (battlships and bat e-aisers) mounting guns of 1S5 inch ( Der ar greater is as follows:
 Great Britain 2S vessels of 723. tons' United States 10 vessels of 8 VVV tons and Japan g vessels of S67,
 This compilation excludes capital sl mounting guns of less than 15.5 i &iore because of their low rate of
 hc.sncy in modern battle
 The protected strength of the ss three powers at the end Of 1923 in l-al ships within the same limitations To ealibre Of guns on the basis of D ent projected building is fixed at:
 Great Britain 2s ships totalling I