The Washington herald., 1922-12-30
Wants $50, 100000 at Once
TO Remodel Capital Ships
Under Five Power Treaty
CITES BRITAIN AND JAPAN
Principal Need Is to Widen
Firing Radius of Big Guns
by the Increase of Elevation
By WINDER r. HARRIS.
Universal service.


Immediate action to modernize
the eighteen battleships of the
American navy to prevent this
country from falling far behind
the British fleet in fighting eff
cheney has been urged upon lead
ers on the naval committees of
the House by the Navy Depart
ment, it was disclosed last night.
ROOSEVELT AT CAPITOL.
Assistant Secretary OF the Navy
Roosevelt went to the Capitol and
strongly recommended to members
npf both the Naval Appropriations
|ubcounmittee and the Naval Al
airs Committee an emergency ap-
bropriailon Of s20.OO0.O 900 for re-
mod ling the capital ships per.
mitted to be retained under the
five-power treaty.
This amount. Colonel Roosevelt
emphasized. is urgently needed to do
the preliminary work declared by
the NAVY General Board to be es-
sential il the United States Navy
is not to be hcneiessly outclassed
by Brush battleships. The task
OF remodeling those Of the eighteen
vess-ls which are greatly inferior
to th4 MODERN zed British craft
will cost sf0, ,a9e 900. The remain.
der II was stated. could DE de-
ferrcd until the new Congress meets.
URGES UNDERMINING.
Mod rnizing the battleships is the
most important feature of the Gen.
eral Boards plan to meet the naval
activities Of Great Britain and JAP
an. The board also has "a program
for sixteen 1O.0O0-ton cruisers, sub
marines. gunboats. etc. to meet
construction OF these types by the
other two big naval powers.
Formal request for the $50, ,0O0. 900
annr"n"'at!on is expected to 20 to
the House within the next few days.
1t viii have to he taken up first
by the Naval Affairs Committee
ard snecial enabling legislation en-
acted before the ADproDriations Com.
mittee can consider an approprta
fion. II is generally agreed, how
ever. that this feature of the work
should be put under way without
delay and if the Naval Affairs Com
Tnittee favorably reports a bill au.
thorizing the approximation. it is
probable that an effort will be made
10 tack it onto the navy bill now
pending in the Senate.
One or the difficulties is that the
l.lNn
emount that may be expended on
one hattleship in n year. Great
Rritain spent as much as $4,000. 900
IN undermining one vessel.
WIDEN FIRING RADIUS.
The principal work that Colonel
Roosevelt said II was proposed to
do with the so. .0OO, 900 is TO in.
crease the elevation of the big guns
iy raising her turret guns to a 30.
q gree firing elevation, Great Brit.
ems battle fleet now has a battle
range Of 10000 yards. whereas two.
thirds of the American battleshins
IAN fire only 81 900 yards. The
Er1tlSh ships also are much faster
than this country's. so that they
cen remain five miles out OF range
az the United States fleet and still
flre on the American ships.
The other undermining work in.
'iid"s strengthening deck arrnor for
greater protection against airplanes
and high angle firing from long
range; increase Of anti-aircraft guns
from three TO five-inch caliber.
equipment of all battleships with
hlis'ers for protection against
torpedoes and depth bombs. and
conversion Of all coal-burning ships
INTO oil-burners to increase their
effective radius of action.