The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-01-28

maintains them there win win the
air battle.
But If it's planes have no place
to land they will ultimately drop
into the sea and be lost And it
may be impossible for the carriers
alone to receive and accomm oddte
all the planes of a big fleet in ease
many of iIhem are forced to lard
at one time Evidently. then, there
should he as many ships as possible
other than carriers upon which
planes can land in an emergency in
order that a fleet, after surviving
the initial air battle, may preserve
its superiority in the air and bomb
it off the sea.
It would appear, therefore. that
the Wilson and Rodney may be de-
signed very wisely and very shrewd-
Iy to meet this situation. It is
clear that If every hattleship and
every cruiser has a lying dac! upon
which its own planes, or the planes
of other ships may land to refuel,
the fleet will By such means he
enabled to keep maximum number
of planes in the air at all times.
IT is a matter of the most vital
Importance. IT will spell victory
The "airplane. ratio will win. The
English appear TO be alive. rs the
United States to remain asleep
dreaming about gun elevations?"
Avoid Treaty Violation.
1t is not unreasonable to assume
that the British constructors would
avoid violation of the naval treaty
while securing, If possible, the full
battle usefulness of airplanes. From
the statement of the case the follow
ing questions arise in connection
with the treaty:
When is battIeship not battle
ship?
When is a carrier not a carrier
When is a carrier a battleship2
When is battleship a carrier
Is a cruiser, or a tanker ,eor any
auxiliary ship with the fleet carrier
simply because it has landing deck
for planes?
This is somewhat bewiIderIng TO
be sure. But these questions must
be answered to keep within the
limitations Of the naval r.e1tv
It may be said that the Wilson
and Rodney are battleships because
they carry sixteen-inch guns. They
are not carriers because their guns
are heavier than efght-incn. They
are not carriers If they only carry
three or four planes, because all
battleships may now carry that
number But it may be argued that
they are not carriers in simply hav-
ing a flush deck There is no law
against a battleship having flush
decks there2 They may De ''sea.
l.. a.zJb hat.
tleships to be sure; but this does not
necessarily put them in the carrier
class?
Fleet Can Carry Big Air Force.
Now if battIeships can remain
battleships with a flying deck, can
not cruisers remain cruisers, de-
stroyers remain destroyers, and
auxiliaries remain auxiliaries If
they, too, have their flying decks
provided they do not themselves
carry many planes? IL this is adj
mitted, q fleet can carry planes on
it's carriers and land them safely
on aany ship in an emergency. And
from these ships they can take off
again.
This condition will add immensely
in war. II every ship is a landing
field, a fleet may carry and utilize
a big air force. 1t is the only way
to fully utilize air power in a navy.
It would appear, therefore, that
England is alive to the fact that
air power is necessary to the future
efficiency of her fleet. Without 1t
her grand fleet cannot be grand.
It cannot possibly maintain Eng
lands communications with her
distant possessions. The English
empire is dependent upon air power.
Without its her grand fleet is a
broken reed.
u. s. Needs Air Power.
The same may be said of the
United States fleet. Air power is
absolutely essential to its effective
ness in offense and in defensive
operations. Without this power our
present surface fleet is a naval Jelly
fish In battle with an up-to-date
enemy. A third rate naval power
that can maintain a big submarine
fleet and a dominating air force at
sea will defeat us. 1t can bomb and
torpedo our surface fleet off the
seas.
1t is strange, indeed. that this
awful fact should be ignored. VIII
our experts. continue to resist the
inevitable and bring upon US hui
initiating defeat in the next war?
They have grasped the shadow I'D
lost the substance of naval pre-
paredness.
MAPEAPEr DEAn HutEn