The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-01-24
GERMAN SHIP is
new TERROR OF
WORLD NAvIES
Baby Battle Craft Packs
Maximum of Death in
Minimum of Space.
By WILLIAM PHILIP SIIMS
sz.-..-- rzas4.- co~s-...n Kxo,,-.~a N.u-enauers

BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
Foreign Editor. Seripps-Howard Newspapers
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24.-Is the
United States navy, our first line
of defense and safeguard against
invasion in time OF war, about to
be converted into Sc much junk by
the invention of a brand new and
more efficient type Of vessel?
Similarly, are all the other ex-
isting navies of the world-includ-
ing that of Great Britain, with
which we demand parity, ton for
ton-on the eve of being relegated
to the limbo of the obsolete or the
not-so-good?
Is the treaty of Washington
framed to limit the naval arma-
ments of the United States, Britain.
Japan, France and italy, to be
turned into a scrap Of paper by re-
cent marine developments in sixth
country, entirely outside the Jurls-
diction of that treaty?
These questions are being asked
uneasily, not alone in Washington,
but in London, Toxic, Paris and
Rome. following revelations from
Berlin concerning secret ship
which German scientists have
evolved and which conservative
naval experts pronounce the most
remarkable fighting craft ever laid
down.
Forbidden by the treaty of Yer
saiIles to have a regular navy,
through being limited to craft not
exceeding 10000 tons displacement
Germany has been seeking quietly
for years to evolve a baby battle
ship which would be match for
the big fellows.
Necessity being the mother Of in
vention, she seems to have found
what she was looking for. 1t is called
the Ersatz Preussen-PrusSia'S sub
stitute for a dreadnaught-or the
beginning of a synthetic" Ger
man navy. And while it may not
answer to a technician'S definition
of a proper navy, in practice it may
be able to lick the Stuffing out OF
the real thing, if and when the
test comes-which is all that any
German could require or any other
nation fear.
The ErsatZ PreuSsen diSplaceS
10000 tons. Her huh is in one
piece. electrically welded from stem
to stern. It is made of special
steer secretly developed by the
Krupps, and is similarly armored.
She mounts six eleven-inch guns
with a 30,000-yard range and can
fire salvo every twenty seconds,
making her more than match for
any three 10,000-ton cruisers in the
British or American navy. Eight
inch guns are the biggest our cruiS-
ers may mount.
Powered with internal combustion
Diesel engines of a new pattern, she
can do approximately thirty miles
an hour. Up to now engineers have
figured motors of this kind would
have to weigh upward of sixty
pounds horsepower, but the Ersatz
PreuSSen's are said to develop one
horsepower for every seventeen and
half pounds weight.
And SO economical are they in
fuel consumption that at twenty
knots an hour the mystery ship
could 90 10000 miles without re-
fueling, or nearly 10000 miles at a
slower and more economical speed.
making her the earth's most dan
gerous potential commerce raider.
Germany has built this ship re-
gardlesS of expense. She repre-
sents the hitherto unthinkable in
warShips. She is to fighting craft
what the German Big Bertha that
fired seventy-five miles on Paris was
to artillery.
Experts said it couldn't be done.
yet it was done. What is to keep
Germany-or England or Japan or
any other country with the price
from building navy composed of
ships developed from these and OBJ
tanning complete mastery of the
seas?
It also is obvious that ships built
now, without taking the Ersatz Pre-
ussen into consideration, likely
would be obsolete before they were
laid down.