South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-01-01
UNCLE SAM TO Be
MASTER OF OCEANS
WITHIN FEW YEARS
Three New Types of Ships Be-
ing Added-TO Be SUI
preme in 1923.

/ WASHINGTON. D. c., Dec. 81
/ The United States navy VIII be the
most powerful in the world by 1923.
when ships now under construction
/ are completed, Sec'y Daniels de-
clared today. Ship for ship and gun
/ for gun, Great Britain's lighting
fleet now holds first rank, but with
I the recent decision by the British
admiralty TO undertake no new
( building program at present 1t un-
doubleday will soon drop TO second
place.
Navy officials are much interested
I in reports of a strong movement in
the house Of commons to increase
the British navy 10 a strength equal
TO that of the combined forces of
America and japan, but until there
/ is some denite announcement at
London Of such a policy no recon-
mendauons will be made TO con-
gress
Three new types of ships for the
United States navy which will
round out the fleet and add ire
mendOusly TO its effectiveness are
now under construction. The first
of these, the new battleships author
I lied in the 1916 building program.
vii be the largest and most power
full in the world. Next come the
! fleet subm arines, three of which are
: being built at the Portsmouth navy
yard. These superundersea craft
will have sufficient speed and cruis
| ing radius TO enable them 10 accom-
pany the fleet under all conditions
They have been designed after thor
ough investiga ton Of the best types
in foreign navies and are expected
10 include features entirely new to
submarine construction. The last Of
the trio is the largest type Of air
! craft carrier, the Langley, which is
being fitted with the most improved
equipment for handling naval air
craft.
Huge Fighting Ships
IN addition to these new types of
vessel. the necessary complement of
scout cruisers and destrOyers is also
under construction.
The new super dreadnoughts,
which are 10 form the backbone Of
tire fleet" are the South Dakota.
/ Indiana, Montana, North Carolina,
Iowa. Massa chusetts. They have
displacement of 43,200 tons. and will
cost about $21,0O0,000 each. Two
OF the monster ships are under con-
struction at the navy yard, New
York; one at navy yard, Mare Is
land. California, one at navy yard.
Norfolk. Va. one at Newport News
shipbuilding yards. Newport, Va.
and enc at the Bethlehem Shipbuild-
ing Works. Quincy, Mass.
The principal characteristics of
these battleships are: Length, 684
feet: breadth. los feet; draft. 33
feet: displacement, $4,000 tons;
shaft horsepower. 10000; speed. %
knots; armament. twelve sixteen
inch guns: two twenty Inch sub
merged torpedo tubes. All will be
oil burners with electric drive. Their
compliments will include about 20
officers and 1900 men.
Four hattleships of $4,000 tons
displacement are also under con-
struction. They are the Maryland
West Virginia, Colorado, and Wash
ilgton.
BIG UndcTsea Boats
The three fleet submarines are
part OF a group OF nine authorized
bv the Act of 1915. Bids for the
other six are under consideration.
The undersea boats vii have a
length Of 80 feet and a displacement
OF 1000 tons. The prOpeling ma
chinerv for surface operation con-
sis of two main Diesel engines and
two auxiliaries. driving electric gen
orators. When operating submerg-
cd the vessels will be propelled by
electric motors. taking current from