Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-15
100 MIL !. ION MORE:
NEEDED To KEEP Up
DEPARTMENT SAYS
BY CHARLES p. STEWART

building program.
The United States has rot approach
| ed it's quota of naval armament as
signed to it in the historical 1913 dis
| armament agreement of 1921.
Congress- appropriation of $780,
900, 900, naval authorities say, is not
enough to provide a fleet in keeping
with the Washington treaty.
An allowance of $500, 100000, they
add. is the least needed to bring our
navy approximately up to the 5-5-3
basis.
These salient facts are brought out
from a close study Of Uncle Sam S
navy, its facilities, effectiveness and
possibilities in time of war, how it
compares with the navies of other
important countries, and what this
means to you and me.
By the terms of the naval limita-
ton treaty between America, Great
Britain. Japan, France and Italy,
these five countries, the only sea
| powers which count, were put on a
basis, respectively, Of 5-5-3-1. 75-1.75,
for capital fighting ships and air
craft carriers.
That is to say, America and Great
! Britain are on an equality. Japan is
entitled to three-fifths the strength
of either of them; France and Italy
each to seven-twentieths.
No Limit on Personnel
The treaty puts no limit on naval
establishments except as to the two
classes of ships named; none as to
personnel.
In the matter of capital ships,
meaning battleships and battle cruis-
ers, America, like Great Britain and
Japan, was above her quota when
the treaty was signed, and had to
scrap II old and II new vessels.
What strength does this leave us?
We have 1878 officers and $4,000
men. On the quota basis we should
have 1888 officers and 97,125 men,
10 offset the shortage we have a
reserve Of 4,256 officers and 1S.179
men. Our $4,000 men, though first
! class raw material, for the most part
lack the long training most old world
man-o'-War men have had.
or capital ships we have IS, total
| ing 525,S50 tons, This is close to our
! tuu quota, but several of the shins
| need niZation-cOnVersio into
OH burners, new boilers and better
| protection against submarine and
aerial attacks There is reason also
TO pelleVe our guns are outranged by
| the British, about II to 8.
Weak in Submarines
or modern high-speed light
cruisers We have four of 10000 total
TONS, with SIX more representing
$4,000 tons now building, three Of
them nearly finished. On the treaty.
basis we are entitled to 10 of 87.SS3
tons. Naval men agree we are dan
Serously short of this type of craft.
or modern destroyers we have
IA, of a total of 325,412 tons,
Numerically this is a strong show.
ing, but most of these boats were
War-built, too hastily to be first
class.
America has three modern, long
radius submarines, of 1913 total
| tons, IS undersea boats of the coast
| defense type, representing 53,573
tons, and IS more under construc-
ton, of 1922 tons.
or the larger, long-radius vessels
we have not nearly enough, naval
officers say. The others, adequate in
point of numbers, lack speed and
radius
OF aircraft carriers America has
one in commission and two in pro
cess of conversion from the cruiser
type. Miscellaneous auxiliary craft
of all sorts in commission, including
tenders, supply, repair and hospital
ships, Golfers and tugs, number 1856.
The principal complaint concern.
ing most of them is they are slow
and would hamper a fleet for this
reason.
What Does 1t Mean?
| What does all this mean to you
and me, to the inhabitants along
the coast and to inland folks?
Three centuries ago inland Eng
| land was desperately poor. The in
! landers objected to any waste" of
money on warships. Let the coastal
fringe worry. What use had they
for a navy?
Then Englands foreign trade be-
gan to develop.
The inland counties began to
prosper The coastal fringe did the
shipping but the inlanders supplied
the goods for export. To deliver
these goods abroad ships were
needed-and to protect the ships, a
navy.
Then the inlanders saw what a
war fleet meant to them-even to
! them, as inlanders.
In 1920 American exports reached
about $8,109, 100000.
Times were excellent.
A drop of some $4,338, 000, 900 In
exports followed.
Times frightened. Agriculture es
pecially suffered.
OF late exports have been picking
up somewhat. But not enough.
The farmers beginning to get the
point. He's ciamoring, quite prop
erly, for a more intensive develop
ment of Americas export trade.
| But does the inland farmer get
| this idea, toO?-
| A mercantile marine is necessary
| to the development of a country
| export trade, and without navy no
country can keep a merchant ma
! rine.
Spanish Defeat Reported
LONDON, May IA Tansier dis
patch TO the Daily Mail says il is
reported that the Riffs, lei by Aid.
! cl-K,9m have takeN an important
| Spanish position neer the J<ert river.
The STANDARDS are said to have aban-
doned their guns and a large guam
ti+v of 9nu1n-:tiOn