Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-11-20

Navy feels that America, hypnotized
at the conference. has been further
lulled to the notion that naval rival
rieS are a thing of the past and that
it is little short of foolishness to
maintain any navy at all. An effort
is to be made to dispel that idea in
the coming Congress.
Guard Operations.
In any event the operations against
the Washington are to be guarded as
naval secrets which may accrue to
the advantage of this country in time
of need. There will be no journalistic
observers at the obsequies of the
Washington and no detailed descrip-
ton of the sinking will be given out.
AS already stated. the Navy hopes
the Washington will prove a tough
nut to crack. If she does it may tell
the world that the Washington re-
manned afioat in almost unbelievable
circumstances. The Navy may say
nothing at all.
The Navy feels. however, that the
information it will obtain in the
Washington experiments is worth
vastly more than the Junk value of
the ship If cut up and sold. 1t is
possible that the Washington might
the IdIlI!leF
like 100000 or $4,000. The Navy
which may save the country mill
lions in its future maintenance of
the fleet. The Navy hopes to gain in
formation which may result in the
saving of hundreds of lives in the
event of future conflict at arms. The
junk value of the Washington means
nothing compared with all this.
The Washington has been in prepa-
ration for something like two years
for the sinking that Is in store for
her She was selected for her own Pc
culiar fate soon. after the Washing
ton treaty named her among the
doomed ships Some years ago the
Navy experimental on one or two of
the older battleships-ships of the
Spanish american War type. But the
World War proved that ships of an
entirely different design were neces-
sary-to meet particularly the men,
ace of the submarine and the air
plane.
The Washington has been equipped
in what might be termed post-Jutland
manner and now she is to be SUBJ
jected to every test which, in theory,
she might meet in war. She is heavily
armored, she has torpedo "blisters"
y
the sinking which inevitably is in
store. The Nays aspirations are tied
up in the hope that she may prove a
glutton for punishment.
Much Detail Involved.
The operations will involve vast
amount of small boat work. Mines
and bombs are to be exploded near
the hull. After each explosion a
minute examination must be made
by a boarding party. photographs
and drawings must be made; data
must be jotted down. The battleship
Texas has been named as the execu-
toner of the Washington. 1t has
just been learned that some Navy
planes may drop a few bombs on the
deck of the Washington. II she
stands up under all of this the old
Texas will open up with all her guns,
all her armor piercing projectiles and
keep the guns going until the Wash
ington, like a crumpled criminal, col
lapses to her doom.
The Navy would have preferred to
conduct the experiments in inclosed
and shallow waters, that they might
more leisurely inspect the hull after
sinking. But the terms of the Wash
ington treaty are SO stiff and tight
that it was necessary to choose the
open sea in order that when the
Washington goes down she will go
forever and be a forgotten unit in
the navies of the world.
Copyright 1924.