Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1922-07-06
TWENTY-EIGHT WARSE1LPS
WILL BE SUNK OR JUNKED
Naval Board Has Evolved Tentative Program Scrappng War
Craft Under Terms Of Disarmament Treaty-Means
Loss Of Half Billion To Country

A naval board has evolved its ten
tatiye program for the "scrapping' OF
2S big fighting ships OF the United
States, which are TO be sunk, or sold
as virtual junk. under the terms OF
the treaty negotiated at the Confer
ence on the Limitation OF Armament
In the list OF doomed ships are fam
Gus vessels that have ridden the
waves for 10 years or more. and ships
not yet completed and never to be
launched.
Here are the outlines OF the great
est "scIupping" program In history
for the United States will discard
more vessels than any other nation
II is estimated that II will cost at
least $70.000000 10 scrap the vessels
coylred hy the treaty. This will be
an expense bill for reimbursing con-
tractors and subcontractors on ships
under construction, labor I'm dismant-
ling and cutting up into junk vessels
now on the ways. the cost of hauling
vessels out to sea and shooting at
them until they sink.
Half Billion To BE Thrown Away
The vessels to be destroyed, new
and old, are estimated TO represent an
outlay OF nearly half-billofl dollars
Most OF this money was expended on
battle cruisers and battleships not yet
completed, but on which construction
was started. II was figured that the
United States has invested in these
new vessels about $33O,OOO,OOO. Add
to this the cost OF the 10 old capital
ships that are to be scrapped and the
half-billion mark is not far away.
Fifteen old ships, so-called, are tc
DE junked They range from the
Maine, 20 years old, to the Michigan.
IL years old.
Thirteen uncompIeted vessels, six
battle cruisers of most modern type
and seven battleships are also to GO
The battleships range from IL to II
per cent. completed. the average be-
Ing about one-third. The doomed
battle cruisers are from II to IS per
cent. complete.
Two To BE Plane Carriers
However, two OF the cruisers are to
be converted into airplane carriers
the treaty permitting this-and the
actual scrapping will apply to only
four cruisers. The Lexington, 33 per
cent. complete. and the aratoga. 80
per cent. complete, have been selected
tor airplane carriers.
The remaining four cruisers-Con
stellation, Ranger, Constitution and
the United States-must be used as
targets in target practice or sold for
the wood. iron, steel and brass that
are in them.
In disposing of all the vessels. old
end new. the naval board recommends
that they "be disposed of by sale un-
less sunk by guniire." Hswever. IL il
explained AT the Navy Department, il
is hard to sell war vessels. They arc
unsuited for merchant use because o.
The weight of their armor and small
freight-carrying capacity Their ma
ohinery will fit into no other ship. anG
the expense and Inconvenience of re
moving the machinery are practically
proh'btivo. The most that can be ex-
pected is a buying order from some
one who wants to strip the vessels OF
their metal and furnishings.
Majority To BE Sank
Indications are, therefore. that mos
of the condemned vessels will be tow
ed to sea and sunk.
The Navy Department. neverthe
less, has already sold two of the YES