The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-11-14

three fleets to be retained under the
reduction program, show that the
United States and Japan would have
one ship each mounting eight 16-fnch
rifles each. Great Britain would have
ten ships carrying total OF eight is
inch rifles; one carrying ten 14-inch
guns. and her other seven ships would
/ be armed with the British 1875 guns,
used by neither OF the other powers
She would have seventy OF these afio1l..
The United States, in addition to the
16inch gun ships, the Maryland, just
commissioned, would have eight ships
carrying twelve 14inch guns each, two
carrying twelve 12-inch guns each, and
four carrying ten 12-inch each. Japan,
/ I'm addition to her one 16-inch gun ship,
would have afioat forty-eight 14-inch
guns and twelve 12-inch guns on her
battleships. and thirty-two 14-inch on
her battle cruisers.
/ The figures further illustrate that the
British preponderance in the proposed
/ immediate cut is embraced in her four
I battle cruisers. as the gun power of the
/ in make up, but approximately the
same. There is little doubt, however.
/ that American naval opinion would
rank the American battleship fleet as
superior.
I In round terms, the American re-
j placement proposal means that under
f the agreement outlined the fleets Of the
three powers in terms of capital Ships
would stand ultimately at approx
mately fourteen each for Great Britain
and the United States, and eight for
Japan. The American claim to full
| equality with Great Britain is made in
the replacement suggestion, and there
is no hint as yet that the British dele
CATION viii oppose it.
It seems also that Japan would
stand thereafter at fixed ratio of
three to FIVE in naval strength in COM
sparison to the other two fleets. It was
not clear tonight how that would
finally be viewed by Japan
The American replacement plan pro
poses to limit future capital ships to
| $4,000 tons. Taken in connection with
the tonnage allotments, that. would
mean main fleets OF fourteen capital
craft each for Britain and the United
States, and eight for Japan, provided,
all are built up to the limit Of size
The heaviest tonnage of capital crafts
so far planned is understood to be In
connection with Japan's projected bat
tie cruisers, said to reach $4,000 tons
Such ships and also such vessels as to
six new batt1eships and six battle
cruisers the United States is building
all well over 10000 tonners, would be
prohibited
It is to be noted that in the Ameri-
can scheme to date, as to ships laid
down as requirements would be re-
CURED to be furnished by the power
planning the ship, to the other two.
but the tonnage and the dates of con
tract, keel laying, completion and de-
struction of the ship displaced. No at
tempt is made to limit the design of
the vessels batteries. speed. fuel ca :
pacity or other military characteristics
beyond the .35.000-ton maximum figure.
In outlining the plans for all the
auxiliary craft that make up modern
fleets care was taken to exclude from
the limitations existing tonnage in
monitors, or purely coast-defense ves-
sells and in supply, and other training
ships tugs and the like. There would
be no necessity to dispose Of any ex-
cess Of these craft any power might
have. as they would not weigh much
in the scale of the reduced main fleets.
Otherwise, with the exception OF air
craft, the Ave to three ration as be-
tween the strength OF the British and
American fleets and that Of Japan.
would apply all down the line It is an
exact establishment Of this line Of rela- +
tive naval strength that has been
worked out
The figures may be significant Naval |
officers always have contended that it |
would require a two to one preponder- |
ance OF forces to carry battle TO Japan I,
across the Pacific. If the attacking
power lacked bases well out toward |
that side. because Of the possibility OF
accidents to ships which would put
them out of action as total losses. |
although a nearby base might quickly !
have refitted them for the front line.
Hhere is where the great Importance /
OF naval bases IN the Pacific not touch /
ed upon by Mr.. Hughes, lies. on the |
five to three ratio CT naval strength. |
Officers say that preponderanee would |
not be available TO Great Britain or 1
the United States. 1t would take joint
forces to furnish the ships. and then be-
cause Of double trains and divided COM !
mands, experts think a three to one