The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-12-31
Navy %'s" ''s -; y
Announced
by Harding
President Asks Congress for
$6,5OO,OOO as Beginning on
Program to Modernize
American Battleships.
Marks Change of Policy

Washington. Dec. 30.-In order to
keep the first line Of the American
navy on par with tho sea forces
OF the great powers, President Hard
Ing asked congress for a special ap.
preparation of s6,5O0.o 900 as a begin
ming on hattleship modernization
program.
The plan behind the request marks
change of policy resulting directly
from the Washington arms confer
ence and was described by Secretary
DENLY in a letter accompanying the
presidents recommendation as of
major and vital Importance" in ma
tional defense. Before the conference
it had been the practice TO build new
ships rather than modernize old ones,
policy which no longer can be fol-
lowed, because of the construction
limitations imposed by the naval
limitations treaty.
Secretary DENLY reported that a
detailed study of the problem had
been made by naval officers. and that
the s6.500,00 asked for would make 1t
possible to begin work on 13 vessels.
Ultimately. he estimated, the program
would cost total Of s50,000,000.
Details Lacking.
No detailed information as to what
ships will be affected by the first ap-
preparation or what work will be
done on them was given to congress
by Mr.. DENLY or made available at
the Navy department. 1t is known
however. that in general the tenta-
tive plans call for equipment of all
of the 14-inch guns ships of the fleet
with deck protection against aircraft
bombs and high angle fire, blister"
protection against torpedo attacks,
and modernization OF the main bat
teres to give them n range now u.s.
able with aircraft spotting.
British ships of the same general
type have already been brought up
to date in this way as a result of les
sons learned in the war. The work
was begun in British navy yards dur
ing the war and a specific provision
permitting it to be completed, IL not
more than 5000 tons was added there
by TO the displacement of each ship,
was included in the naval treaty.
Old Equipment Used.
The new ships which the United
States was building and has agreed to
scrap under the treaty were equipped
with all of the devices which it now
becomes necessary to add to the older
craft. The new ships would have had
main batteries with range Of "a, 900
yards and the interior construction of
the hulls was calculated to minimize
the damage from torpedo attack.
The old 14-inch guns which are to
be retained under the treaty, were de-
signed and built before aircraft spot
ting made possible effective gun fire
beyond the limit of vision from the
ship. They were also built before the
great war proved the effectiveness of
submarine attack with torpedoes.
1t is doubtful that the moderniza-
ton program will include any of the
l2-inch gun ships of the American
navy, which, because of their lighter
guns and lighter side armor are not
regarded by naval experts as ships of
the first line of battle. There are
six such ships now in the active fleet,
and two Of them, the North Dakota
and Delaware, will be scrapped when
the new 16-inch gun ships, West Vir-
ginia and Colorado, are commits
stoned. The British have disposed of
virtually all of their 12-inch gun bat
tie craft