Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-05
RY wILftAM J. wHEATLEY.

M WILLIAM y, NhEAtLENs
with all of the cruisers which have
been authorized and appropriated fol-
ov Congress as additions to the United
states Navy laid down. this country
still is away behind the treaty powers IN
this class vessels by naval strategists,
present speed Of the cruiser building
rece that is going on, 1t will be some
Years before the United States can catch
un. Despite the importance given to
this class Of vessels by naval StrategiSts,
considering them in connection with
The treaty limitation on capital ships,
CONGRESS failed TO pass the cruiser OH
ct ire last Congress, which would have
authorized Is more vessels OF tine
ilAo-ton class. which Is the type now
bang developed by all the treaty navies,
The ratio for capital ships laid down
by the limitation of ornaments treaty
was 5-5~S. the first two for the United
States and Great Britain and the last
for japan. No limit was placed on
the number of cruisers, bat only on
the size of guns. The ratio OF cruiser
in these three navies at this time.
figures at the Navy Department show
are i.o for the United States, for
the British Empire and &c for Japan.
This shows that the power which was
10 be third is away ahead of the United
States which should be first according
to the agreement as to navy size fixed
by the treaty.
Opposition Is Foresscn.
There is a strong hope in naval
circles that the cruiser bill will be
passed when the next session of Con-
greSs convenes. but there are reports
in some circles that 1t is very likely
"a have even harder sailing than 1t did
AZ the last session. because of the birth
of the anti-war treaty There is
feeling that the PacifiSts and small
navy Congressmen will use this treaty
IN support of their arguments that the
United States should not participate IN
the cruiser race If there is any race
~ all in cruiser building, the figures
indicate that the United States is not
n It.
Even assuming that Congress should
look favorabiy on the cruiser bill, 1t
does not mean that the building can
start Immediately. For II Is merely
an authorization bill. and then must
be followed by an appropriation with
which to build them. From the time
that one of the modern cruisers is
laid down. 1t takes three years al the |
least to complete it, and this time
NAV be extended by the failure or
even the cutting of appropriations |
This is illustrated by the fact that the I
10000 cruisers Pensacola and Salt /
Lake City, for the United States Navy. |
were laid down in 1926, and on June /
"a. the Pensacola. building at the New I
York Navy Yard was only 40.4 per /
cent completed. and the Salt Lake City. /
being constructed by the American /
Brown Boveri Electric Corporation, +
vas only 59.3 per cent completed,
The United States now has building /
ak other cruisers. the keels OF which 1
we're laid recently. Thev are Of the 1
10000 ton type, designed TO make /
Epeed of 327 knots. and each viii have /
. battery of nine s-inch guns They /
are the No 20. being built by the I
Bethlehem Steel Corporation which on |
June 80 was 81 per cent completed, I
the Chester building at the American !
Brown BoyeTi Electric Corporation /
works, 20.2 per cent complete; the No /
%. under construction at the Puget /
Sound Navy Yard, Washington. 9.5 |
per cent complete: the Chicago, being 4
built at Mare Island Navy Yard, Cali I
Houston. 2i.2 completed at the New
port News Shipbuilding g. DRY Dock
Co. at Newport News, Va. and the
Augusta. II per cent completed at the
same yard.
British Have Six.
As against this American building /
program Of 10000 tonnerS. the British |
have six 3I.5 knot boats, mounting |
eight s-incn guns, in commission.
They are the Kent. Cornwall. Suffolk, |
Cumberland, Berwick and Australia. |
The British have six more Of the same |
type already launched and being COM |
pleted. and two more, laid down, but |
not launched. Those which have |
been launched are the Canberra,
Deyonshire, London. Shropshire. York |
and Sussex, and the two laid down |
last year. but not launched. are the
Dorseislire and Norfolk
The japanese. agreed to be the
smallest naval power under the treaty
terms. has two 10000 tonncrs In COM
mission, with a speed Of 33.5 knots !
and mounting eight s-inch guns. They
are the Naclai and the Myoko They
hare two more. the Ashigara and
Hagura launched and being completed,
and two more. the Takao and Ataga.