The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-06-04
- BY L. f. JUDD

r. + all the nations OF the world
were so we'll fed so prosper
l Gus, so engrossed in their
personal affairs and so generally con
tented as United States; if all were
so unselfish in their national view
points, there would be little need for
navies or armies.
But, unhappily, this is not the
case. Limited resources inspire jeal
ousy. Harsh national needs inspire
national avarice. international sus
picions and hatreds are still Unborn
in many sections of the world, not
so fortunate as our own land.
SO it is not entirely because Of
our own needs that we must mains
tain an efficient navy. 1t is more
because of the conflicting needs Of
certain other nations.
Without navy fully capable of
maintaining our honor, we would he
a shining mark for many ambitious,
covetous nations whose peoples have
not even approXimated our national
contentment.
Must Protect Property
Because we have more than any
other nation, we have more to lose.
1t naturally follows that we mus.
protect our own, just as it naturally
follows that we are nationally able
to afford the best protection money
can buy.
If we could forget our ancient
dogma concerning "entangling alH-
ances" there might be a different
story 10 tell. But without an effec-
tive association of nations to guar
antee peace, we must be sufficiently
strong to look out for ourselves.
There are still too many potential
war breeders on the face of the
earth for us to relax our vigilance.
That we are dangerously dereuct
in protecting our national safety
was brought out during the recent
maneuvers of our combined tleets in
the Caribbean Sea.
Small Ships Unlimited
Disarmament conference agree
ments limit us TO our present tom
mage Of capital ships so that there
can be no dreadnauEhts built during
the next eight years. Bur va and
other nations are unlimited i'm the
matter Of building war craft of TO-
600 tons or under. This lighter class
of tonnage includes the highly inn
portant light cruisers. destroyers,
aircraft carriers. submarines, mother
ships and aircraft. Each nation is
privileged to do as it sees 1T in con
struction Of these ships.
Our strength is on theoretical
equal with that of Great Britain.
while we are entitled 20 a tive-to-
three superiority over Japan in the
matter of capital ships So far as
actual tonnage goes. we are APP
prcximately in this position. But
several Of our first-hne battleships
would be materially weaker in battle
tnan The ships Of Great Britain or
Japan. This Is because our weaker
battleships are coalburners slow
and carry guns Of insufficient eleva-
lion. thereby reducing their firing
range and putting them at great
and dangerous disadvantage.
These ships should be remodeled.
provided with ollburnlng engines
and the elevation Of their guns
should be increased so as TO put
them on firing range equality
with the strongest. In their present
condition they are not going 10 do
us much good in actual battle. for
they would be sunk before they
could get within two or three miles
Of their own firing range The fact
that they are coal,buruers would
make them all the more vulnerable
as targets for an enemy possessing
longer range.
Congress has not provided saffi-
cient funds to keep these capital
ships in proper repair. Glaring de-
fciencie5 were brought out during
the recent maneuvers. Sustained
speed and agility was impossible, due
to the rundown condition of the
power plants on practically all Of our
capital ships. A number of our
capital ships are not equipped as
they should be for defense against
air attacks.
These facts are having a pro
nounced effect upon the morale OF
line officers and men. They realize
that their chances would be slim
if we were to go into battle in our
present rundown condition.