Evening star., 1941-11-21
Knox and Aides See
35,000-Ton Indiana
Go Down Ways
No One Can Soy When
Foes Will Droe U. S.
Into War, He Says
BY CLAUDE A. MAHONEY,
SIAN rnrraSnnndant

NEWPORT NEWS, Va, Nov. 2l.-
No one can say when the actions Of
our "avowed enemies" may drag the
United States into complete bellig-
erency, Secretary of the Navy Knox
told a crowd assembled here today
for the launching Of the new battle
ship, the 35,0O0-ton U. S. S. Indiana.
The Indiana, completed six months
ahead of schedule, cost $4,000 900.
I'VE know on which side of this
fight our. hopes and interests lie"
Secretary Knox added. And We
have proclaimed our resolve that our
side shall win this struggle which
shakes the world"
If complete war comes, he con-
tinued, the new battleShip will be a
tower of strength to our battle
line"
Secretary Knox was chief speaker
at the launching of this. the third
similar ship to slide down the ways
during the current year. Mrs Lewis
Robbins of Wichita Falls, Tex,
daughter of Gov. and Mrs. Henry
F. Schricker of Indiana, SplaShed
the traditional bottle of champagne
over the prov of the vessel as it
slid stern first into the historic
James River.
Gov. Price Attends.
Other notables present included
Gov. Price of Virginia, Rear Ad-
miral Herbert S. Howard, head OF
the design division of the Bureau
of Ships; Capt. John L. McCrea Of
the ONCE of the Chief of Naval OPP
erations: Gov. Schricker, and host
of Indiana officials. A special train
brought proud Hoosiers from their
| inland homes to celebrate the
launching of the third naval yes
sells to bear the name of their State.
Secretary Knox reviewed the his
tory Of the ships to bear the name
! of Indiana, and complimented the
Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry
Dock Co. on getting the new battle
ship into the water ahead Of sched-
/ ule
When our industry and labor are
united. there is nothing on earth
/ that can stop them" he said.
Deadly PeriIs Ahead.
And we all know that We have
need of record breaking speed. We
/ all know that the dangers which
confront the United States today
are as deadly as any in our Nations
! history. The perils which loom
across the seas today are not merely
! threats to our national security.
For this is no struggle between rival
! powers, but a conflict between hos
/ tile ideas
Gov. SChricker assured the cheer
/ ing crowd that the State of Indiana
is definitely for the allout defense
program and that the State has
answering loyalty to that cause.
AS the U. S. S. Indiana hit the
water steam rose from her hull, so
great was the friction generated by
the slide down the ways. The large
Vessel was allowed to slide tninter-
rupted a great distance into the
river before it was picked up by
tugs. On many launchings the
space of deep water is limited and
J huge weights and piles Of steel
/ chains are used to stop the ship
1 once it is in the water
The new ship is similar in design
to the battleships South Dakota,
Massachusetts, and Alabama, the
first two launched this year and the
Alabama due for launching in Feb
ruary, 1912. 1t is. member of the
North Carolina class. though differ
ing slightly from that ship and the
Washington, that followed it into
the ranks of our fast-growing Navy.
The North Carolina and Washing
ton were put into commission this
summer.
Standard displacement Of the
Indiana is 35 900 tons, though it has
been hInted that the actual dis
placement is larger than that figure
She is $50 feet long, with a beam OF