The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-01-10
Standing of Marine Arha-
ment Is Point Of Vital
Disagreement.
By WILLIAM PHIL1P sIMMs

iNe
BY WILLIAM PHILIP sIMMs
EV1 AsHINGToN, Jan. 1o.-The
llWI impression Congress has
H. given the country as to the
condition of the American Navy and
what Secretary Of the Navy Wilbur
has to say about it fail to jibe in
vital places.
Congress says, in effect. that our
Navy IS second to none, while Sec
rotary Wilbur says it is second best
lin general and third best in spots.
Specifically. the Senate Naval APP
preparations Committee and the cor
responding House committee concur
in the statement that 1.-THE country
need not be alarmed about reports
that the Navy has fallen below the
5-5-3 ratio, and adds that certainly
so far as capital ships are concerned,
the ratio is being maintained.
Here Is what Secretary Wilbur
wrote to Chairman Butler of the
House Naval Affairs Committee:
IA fair comparison of t~heTpresent
fighting strength in ships OF Great
Britain, America and Japan would
appear to be 5-3-S."
Considered Unfair
But even that statement. il left
unqualified, was considered unfair
by the secretary-who thinks in
terms OF sea power as a whole and
not merely in terms of ships-for
he added at once:
This ratio does not take into
consideration s~trategically located
and we'll equipped naval bases which
add greatly to the sea power Of a
nation"
The above qualification. in reality,
is vital. A chain is no stronger
than its weakest link. A navy Is
no stronger than the punch 1t can
deliver In waters where 1t may be
called upon to strike. In the wat
ers of the Philippine Islands. for ex-
ample, which Uncle Sam Is just as
much in honor bound to defend as
he is the Panama Canal or even
Long Island. we have no developed
bases and. because Of that. we rank,
not second as a e power, but
third.
This, Secretary wilbur frankly ac-
knowledges.
For that matter we have very few
adequate bases anywhere, despite
the admitted fact that they add
greatly to the sea power of q ms
ton"
Bases Inadequate
I'VE have no operating bases in
the Pacific that are adequate" Sec
rotary Wilbur told Chairman BIt-
Ter. 1.-THE Atlantic bases are better
but are not nearly all adequate"
@As regards petroleum reserves"
he stated, I'VE have a deficiency Of
6S per cent in the reserves required
for the Pacific. i. e., 80 per cent only
of the necessary reserves on hand.
The Atlantic reserve deficiencies are
still greater"
And in Hawaii, mainstay as
an outpost Of defense In the
Pacific. -.
1.-THE reserve at Oahu" he said,
ION Jan. /, 1924. was about 1,759,667
barrels. In a Pacific war the Navy
viii use about 20, 000,0 geo barrels the
first year."
Less than a two weeks supply this
time last year, and the situation has
grown little better since.
Not Up to Ratio
Even as to capital ships we are
not up to the 5-5-3 ratio as intimated
by Congress. AS to tonnage, per-
haps. or nearly so But rot In other
vital particulars.
1.-THE British capital-ship feet"
says Secretary Wilbur, enjoys a
very marked superiority IN number
OF ships that may be brought into
action at the moderate and decisive
ranges between 21,0O0 and $4,000
yards"
At $4,000 yards, according to Off
cial figures, the British could ham
mer US with their entire fleet Of
twenty ships while only ten Of ours
could be brought to bear on them.
At $4,000 yards we could bring In two
more. making the odds 20 to IL in
Brftain's favor, or 5 to 8 instead of
5 to 5. At $1,000 yards all our
eighteen ships could go into action,
providing they could keep up, which
most of them could not.
The British have two .battleships
that can steam 31.5 knots an hour;
one, 81 knots; one, 80; five, IS; seven,
%; and four than can make 81 knots
an hour. None of our ships can do
better than a fraction over 81. All
but one, the Florida" do from 20
to 81 knots. The FLORIDA" is to be
overhauled SO she can do from IS
to 90.
All Of which means that sixteen of
Britain's twenty battleships are fast
er than ours and normally could
force a battle at whatever range
suited their .fancy-say at %, 1000
yards where their guns could pound
us at the rate of two to one and
prevent u drawing any closer.
Which by no means gives our sail
or scrappers a 5000 or 5-5 chance
with the British, members OF Con-
gress to the contrary n~otwithstand-
a -