The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1921-04-08
The Commercial, Union City, Tenn.
SEC. DANIELS ANENT THE NAVY
Admiral Dewey's Opinion.

enough to reach its target. The Cen
eral Board has set forth it's opinion
that ANY navy less than adequate is
an expense to the nation without be-
ing a protection" and that no navy
is adequate until it is strong enough
to meet on equal terms the strongest
possible adversary"
Germany's navy strong as it was,
was inadequate and, so far as effect
iveness against the Allies navies was
concerned, her High Seas Fleet might
as we'll never have been built. Au-
thorities agree that the United States
should have an adequate navy, but
there is considerable disagreement as
to what this means. The General
Board-Admira Dewey was then its
head-gave its opinion in 1915, de-
claring that the United States Navy
should be equal to any in the world,
saying:
"a navy in firm control of the seas
from the outbreak of war is the
prime essential to country situated
as is the United States bordering up
on two great oceans. A navy strong
enough only to defend our coast from
actual invasion is not the only func-
ton of the Navy. 1t must protect
our sea-borne commerce and drive
that of the enemy from the sea. The
best way to accomplish all of these
objects is to find and defeat the hos
tile fleet or any of it's detachments at
a distance from our coast sufficiently
great to prevent interruption of our
normal course of national life"
Congress authorized such an ade-
auate navy in 1915. We are build
ing it, and if construction proceeds 1t
will have been brought up to the de-
sired point within the time fixed by
the General Board, 1925.
What will be the result if we stop
building now? We have no battle
cruisers. Japan has 4, Great Britain
10-6 of the first line, 4 OF the Sec
ond. The United States has 16 first
line battleships; Great Britain, &c;
Japan, 6. OF frst-line capital ships
the tonnage is: Great Britain, Sill
$50; Japan, 2ss,320; the United
States, 435,750. Considering only
the most modern fighting craft, &C
cording to late figures prepared in
the Navy Department Great Britain
has SIS ships, 1,5sS,442 tons; the
United States $50 ships, 1918
tons; Japan, 43 ships, 340,596 tons;
The total tonnage is of course much
larger, the United States having, ex-
elusive of small craft and auxiliaries,
larger, the United States having, ex-
elusive of small craft and auxiliarleS,
424 vessels, of 1,1S1,SS4 tons; Japan,
rs vessels, 48e,252 tons; Great Brit
ain, TIT vessels, 2,412, 146 tons.
These figures include number that
are regarded as not of fighting ef-
fectiveness according to modern
standards. If we cease construction
now. this country will be left poor
second in naval rank.
Let us consider the case If we
complete the three-year program.
The United States is building hun
bred yessels-11 battleships, 1000
tons: battle cruisers, 261,OOO; 10
light cruisers, 1000; 3S destroyers
and AZ submarines total OF s4z,-
1O9 tons. Great Britain has practl-
cally suspended construction OF cap
ital ships for the time being, building
only a few light cruisers, destroyers,
DESTROYER leaders and large subma-
rines. totaling 36 ships, 1880 tons.
Japan has authorized the building or
Al ships aggregating 32S,4sO tons,
but it's naval authorities have pro-
posed the building of 6S more, OF
32S,46O tons, but its naval author
tiles have proposed the building OF
6S more, of 368,370 tons, though
these have not yet been authorized.
Japan's original building program
was known as the "8-8"-that Is, 3
battleships and battle cruisers, by
1928. This work has been delayed
and can hardly be completed in the
time specified. The larger program
proposed is for a total of IL battle
ships and IL battle cruisers, to be
completed by 1927. OF the battle
ships included in the 8-S program A
are of 1889 tons, a little larger
than our Tennessee; are OF over
10000 tons, comparable with the
North Carolina class we are now
building. The battle cruisers pro-
jected are over 10000 tons. All the
additional 4 battleships and battle
cruisers proposed by Japan but not
vet authorized or appropriated for
are to be of the largest type, above
10000 tons, probably quite as large
as our 1920 ton battleships and 49,
5O0-ton battle cruisers.
If the construction already author
lied or projected by these three coun-
tries be completed according to sched-
ule, with no enlargement OF pro-
grams, the United States will, by
1925. rank first in effective fighting
strength, though still exceeded by
Great Britain in tonnage. A number
of what are now counted as first-line
ships will by that time be relegated
to the second line. Allowing for this,
of frst-line battleships the United
States will have FL, totaling $4,000
tons: Great Britain, %, totaling 548,-
ESQ tons; Japan, s, totaling 25S,92O
tons. This country will have 6 first
line battle cruisers, totaling 261 900
tons; Great Britain, 6, totaling 1885,
400 tons; Japan, g., totaling 10000
tons The total fighting tonnage Will
be: Great Britain, 1865, 1892; United
States, 1,617,282; Japan, 6S9,656.
1t is still lawful for the prune to
get stewed-Florida Times-Union