Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-05-24
MEACRE CLUES SION up SEARCH
FOR SLAYERS OF YOUNG FRANKS
HALE SUGGESTS
MOVES TO PERFECT :
SIS NAVAL RATIO

Washington. May 23.-The United
States navy today is nearer the 5-5-3
ratio set in the arms treaty than at
any time since PRONUNCIATION of that
agreement, Chairman Hale of the
senate naval committee, declared to-
day. in prepared speech analysing
from official records the relative
Standings of principal navies.
Many of the apparent weaknesses
Indicated by the last feet maneou-
ver4 would be remedied by the navy
department as a part of its routine
maintenance work, Senator Hale said
putshe recommended appropriations
to change the remaining first line
coal burners to oil burners and to
elevate guns, IF not in violation of
Conversion Of six coal-burners
would cost $S5O.000 each, Senator
Hale estimated, and the increased
elevation about $6,5O0.000 making a
totaa of Sill. 100000 required to give
theUnited States a roundabout fleet
at &s maximum efficiency.
/. ssEhe American plan of building
slower ships with heavier armament
and heavier armor," he said, lis
based on the theory that has always
prevailed in the American navy. that
battleships are to fight and not to
rum away, and that powerful arma-
ment and heavy armor should not be
sacrificed to obtain greater speed.
"But heavier guns and heavier ar
NOR will not suffice for fighting
ship If her guns have not the range
Of her opponents guns.
LAS both Great Britain and japan
have four battle cruisers each. this
is a very important item to consider.
eff the elevation of the guns left
as it now is, we have five ships that
will far outrange anything that the
British have in battleships or battle
cruisers and five others have about
the same range as, the British ships.
The remaining eight battleships are
toathe extent of several thousand
ids, outranged by the battleships
al battle cruisers.
nit was impossible to get accurate
fiji lres on the elevation and range of
tie guns Of the Japanese ships. but
til rty degrees being the limit of ele-
"
there Is no reason to suppose that
japan can outrange our five most
modern ships with any ship that she
may have and as she has but two
battleships carrying 16 inch guns
and her most powerful ID inch guns
lldGe not the length OF the IA inch
guns on the California and Ten
nessee, we Inanifestly are able to
outrange the rest of her fleet with
our five best ships Compared with
our remaining 13 battleships she may
or may not outrange u.s."
Ship for ship, with the eXcep-
ton of four two older ships" he con-
tinued, "Our battleships are of
greater tonnage. carry more or
heavier guns and are more heavily
armored than the present British
ships. Their speed. however, is
somewhat less than that of the Brit
ish ships and the same is true in
lesser extent in comparison with the
battleships of Japan. The battle
cruisers of both England and Japan
carry heavy guns and are much
faster than our battleships. but as
they are not heavily armored. in ac-
tual battle with guns of an equal
range, this class of ship could not
stand up against a battleship.
I'm no class of combatant ships
mentioned with the exception of the
coal-burning battleships. has our
navy fallen off since the signing of
the treaty. On the contrary we have
replaced two old 10000 ton battle
ships with two modern $4,000 ton
battleships of the latest design. Upon
the completion of the repairs recon-
mended for the coal burning ships.
our battleship quota will be greatly
stronger than it was at the time of
the signing of the treaty."