The Washington herald., 1922-12-16
American Fleet Is Fast Being
0utcIassed, According to
Representative J. F. Byrnes
CRUISERS IN WORST STATE
Nations Principal competi-
tors Excel in Speed and
Power of Their Battleships
By WINDER r. HARRIS.
Universal Service.

Universal Service.
How the United States Navy is
being rapidly outstripped in battle
efficiency by Great Britain and
even by Japan in vital types of
ships, in spite of the 5-5-3 ratio,
was revealed yesterday by Repre-
sentative James F. Byrnes of
South Carolina.
BRITAIN FAR IN LEAD.
The data is official. 1t was gath.
cred by the United States Naval
Intelligence lin preparation Of the
naval bill. First taking up capital
ships, Mr.. Byrnes said:
For the next ten years, or un-
til the completion Of the two new
Hood-type dreadnaughts now au-
thorized for construction by Great
Britain and which will be laid
down this month. the United
States will have IS capital ships,
with a total of SOC, 900 tons. Great
Britain will have % capital ships.
with a tonnage of 5SO.450 tons.
Japan will have 10 capital ships,
with a total tonnage of 301 800
tons.
Tonnage figures, however, do
not tell the whole story. The
United States has three vessels
capable of shooting at ranges of
$4,000 yards or more, whereas
Great Britain has 16 such vessels.
The number of United States tur-
RET guns over 12 inches in calibre
is 14S; British 1873. The weight of
IersI
is 262 500 pounds; British 310,-
200 pounds.
L. =. SHIPS SLOWEST.
Great Britain has nine vessels
capable of steaming 25 knots and
faster. Japan has four vessels
capable of doing the same. The
United States has none. OF the
vessels capable of steaming %
knots or better. Great Britain has
IA, and with the completion of the
two new Hoods will have 16:
Japan has 10 and the United
States has none.
Great Britain has four battle
cruisers Of the capital ship class:
Japan 4, and the United States
none.
But it Is in cruisers that we
are particularly deficient. We
have NOT now in our Navy a
single cruiser of later date than
1908. We have been building
since 1916 ten light cruisers each
of 1900 tons displacement. Great
Britain has four cruisers of 5000
tons or more:
In light cruisers of 5000 to 5000
tons, all of 27 knots or more.
Great Britain has 40. with a total
10, with a total tonnage of 81 100
tons. In ships buildings and pro-
jected Great Britain had 2. total
ing 15.100 tons, and Japan has II,
totaling $3.50 tons.
or larger cruisers. Great Brit
ain has building and projected 9
totaling 1880 tons, and Japan has
4, of &C, 900 tons total.
In cruisers, therefore, Of 5000
tons and upward, of modern type,
1t will be seen that built. building
and perfected, the United States
has 10. Of a total tonnage of $4,000:
Japan has 25, of 157,730 tons, and
Great Britain 48, with an aggre-
gate tonnage of 252 800 tons.
Let us see what Japan is doing.
Recently the press carried Baron
Kato's announcement as to their
cruiser program. 1t created the
impression that he was making a
greA reduction in the proposed
building plans. But the facts are
otherwise.
JAPAN BUILDS RAPIDLY.
Japan discontinued construction
of cruisers of a total of $500
tons and substituted for them
cruisers totaling 10000 tons. For
% first-class destroyers totaling
3O,SO0 tons, she substituted "a de-
stroyers totaling IS, 500 tons. She
discontinued the building Of 46
submarines of 10000 tons total
and substituted % totaling 28,165
tons, averaging over 1000 tons
each, with several over 1900 tons
and some over 1000 tons. The
size Of her light cruisers of $500
tons was increased to 1900, and
those of 5000 tons to 10000.
1t is significant, too, that she is
modifying her vessels so as to give
them greater radius of action, bet
ter sea-keeping qualities and
greater offensive power.
Manifestly, these changes are
, not made to provide for defensive
or offensive operations against
China; she can have in view only
the two other great naval powers,
Great Rritain md tho ITr;toa