Evening star., 1939-11-15
Two Cruisers
Delayed as Navy
Studies Designs
Pocket Bott|eship'
Operations Weighed
By General Board
By JOSEPH S. EDGERTON

BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.
The United States Navy Is holding
up construction of two new cruisers.
the Columbia and Cleveland. for
which funds are available, to de-
termine whether it is necessary to
go into a new type of construction
to counteract the threat of the Ger
man pocket battleship," Acting
Secretary of the Navy Edison said
today.
Mr. Edison, however took a covert
slap" at the lO.OOO-ton battleships
of the Deutschland type. two of
which are now on the high seas as
commerce raiders, observing that
they have not made much of a
showing
We are constantly studying this
question of new types of naval
vessels and are carefully wacthing
developments abroad" the Acting
Secretary said at press conference.
Work on Cruiser Design.
He revealed that the Navy Cen
eral Board now is working on the
design of the two new cruisers,
but that no decision has been
reached which would indicate a
drastic change in type. No change
Is contemplated in the design for
the two new 45O00-ton battleships
now under construction as result
OF any developments abroad, Mr.
Edison said.
believe that the United States
fleet stad~ the various types Of COM
ponent vesse1s~naaking up the fee;
are the sound results >S-experience
over a great many years ard We
don't want to suddenly change any.
design without ample Justification
as a result of any improved devel-
opments which may have been IN
dlcated in this war" MI. Edison
said
He admitted there may be a need
eventually for new types of naval
vessels, but said that need has not
vet become evident The German
pocket battleship. he pointed out.
was designed under rigid limitations
imposed by naval treaty and its de-
sign Is due to the pressure OF cir
cumstanceS rather than to a belief
that it is perfect type OF naval
vessel. There may be better types,
Mr.. Edison pointed out.
Design Matter of Compromise.
I'VE shouldn't try to crowd too
many things on any naval vessel or
try to make it a jack-of all-trades. -
he said. The design of any naval
vessel is matter of compromise
With a small vessel. sacrifices must
be made in one way or another. But
with big ship it is possible to get
speed and still retain the ability to
carry guns, armor and planes"
Mr.. Edison expressed the belief
that it is possible TO build a very
good battleship in the $4,000 ton
class, but that it should not be ex-
pected to be an airplane carrier as
we'll. If larger type were built he
added. it might be both a battle
ship and carrier He would not in
dicate, however. whether the Navy
now is considering anything larger
than the 45,000-ton ships.
Airship Policy Unchanged.
There mas been no change in the
Nays airship policy. but it is prob
able that a new statement NAV be
made in the near future. Mr.. Edison
said. He pointed out that the blimp
or non-rigld airship has a real use
which has been determined by ex-
| perience, and that more of this type
probably will be built.
THE question whether the dirigi-
Bile airship has useful purpose can
not be determined by the verv small
amount of work We have done with
this type Mr. Edison said.
We have built only three dirigible
airships, Mr.. Edison pointed out. ex.
planning that you can't find out
very much with only three of any
one type If the United States
had built only three airplanes /,
probably would not have learned
very much about heavier -than-ail
craft. Mr.. Edison said.
Asked whether the United States
was opposed to naval construction
on the part of the South Ameri-
can countries. Mr.. Edison said the
Navy would have sympathetic
view toward such construction.
He also was asked whether there
is any plan to increase the strength
OF the Atlantic Squadron and re-
piled that this would be determined
by the amount of construction fol
the fleet as whole. He indicated
no consideration will be given tc
decreasing the power of the tieel
itself by transfer to the Allan.
tic or to any other point.
Commenting on the notifications
l tSee CRUISERS, Page A-4)