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

Us 20 lDHSLfbeT 08tCUtH nus tSOk Vet.eeS
a aOGg to "get around" the restTac-
irons imposed By the Washington
conference. :.
IL the accompanying dispatch,
Admiral FuLLam discusses this
question and also Americas 1aegti-
gence IN this respect.
By Rear Admiral w. F. FULLAM,
u. S. NJ, (Retired.)
written expressly for international
News Service.
Copyright. 1926. by international
News Service.1
Reports from England, emanat-
ing from the London Express,
state that the two new capital
ships for the British navy, build
ing as placement ships in accord
ance with the terms of the
Washington Conference, are so
designed as to result ultimately
in q complete revolution in naval
architecture. It is said that these
ships viii carry nine 16-inch
guns in three turrets with Nan
armored citadel and magazines
ii the bow. That they will have
no tunnels, nor masts and that
the greater part, if not the whole
of the ship, will be surmounted
by q deck free from all obstruc-
tions upon which afrplanes may
land in battle.
Report Probably True.
This report is not confirmed as
yet, but there is good reason to be-
Heve that it tells q true story of
Great Britain's intelligent recogTfi-
ton of new naval era predicted
ten years ago by her two far-seeing
admirals, the late Sir John Fisher
and the late Sir Percy Scott. They
both warned England of a great
impending revolution in naval war
fare that would result from the adj
vent of submarines and air forces.
But the United States sees moth
ing Of this. It is a pity. and q
menace to our national safety, that
with our heads buried in the sand
like the ostrich, hearing and seeing
nothing. our naval policy during the
past six years has brought our
fleet to condition of impotency in
modern war. 1t is gratifying 10
note. however, that an American
Admiral awake to the future in
naval warfare predicted two years
ago that the Wilson and Rodney
when completed would be nothing
more nor less than "glorified air
plane carriers He was right.
Doom of Dreadnaught.
The new type, as described, is
thoroughly practical in its features.
disappearance of the dreadnought
of today which is menaced by cub
marines bel.w and by airplanes
above that It's stubboamIy conser va
tive defenders, in their vain and
hystericaI efforts TO save it from
the naval scrap heap of the future
have been forced to cry for bis
ters' to protect its bottom and
heavily armored decks to protect it
from bombs. They wish to elevate
Its guns to range fifteen miles in
q futile contest with airpIanes that
have an easy range of one hundred
miles.
Il is a clear case of fifteen mile
gan against one-hundred-mile gun
just how the short-range gun will
win We are not informed. It is like
giving Don Cuixote an umbrella and
another foot on the end of his lance
TO protect him from 2,000-pound
bomb.
Rights Under Treaty.
In the event that report concern
ing these ships is confirmed. an in
teresting discussion will be precipI-
: tated. Under the terms of the naval
treaty. England and the United
States were each allowed 100, 00J
tops of airplane carriers-not more.
And 1t was stipulated that a carrier
could not have guns heavier than
eight-inch. The number and charac-
ter of planes to be carried wars NOT
specified. and the characteristics OF
carrier as distinguished from q
battleship We're not very fully de.
scribed.
Battleships ordinarily can carry
not more than three or four planes
as scouts and as spoilers for their
guns. And they have no suitable
decks upon which their own planes
can return and safely land. 1t is
absolutely necessary, therefore, that
a battleship's quota of planes, wiIen
their fuel is exhausted shall land on
the carriers that accompany the
fleet, or upon other ships that may
have flying decks. In such cases
they could quickly refuel and return
70 their stations. or the carrier
would send up new planes to replace
them.
This haIplcssness OF airplanes car.
ried Ivy battleships, cruisers, and
destroyers and their Deepen 1ence
upon carriers, or "sea- going land
ing fields" is one of the embarras
sing problems that must be faced
by a naval air force. It's solution
IS necessary in order to employ all
planes effectively in a fleet action
at sea. Manifestly the fleet thai
gets the greatest number of planes
= L.. -.