THE AMERICAN FLEET.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 121, 14 February 1908, Page 4

THE AMERICAN FLEET.

A;ro*' -^lue'ricaii battleships seriously ■ dofecJjm in const ; •', ,"j' l th'e"entbusiasm aroused by tic, arVitlil' (it : Trinida'd' of tho' great 'fleet' on 'dts's'spd(itaculaf I voyage .to tho Pacific,^■ this question sprung on- .the nation by .Bouterdahl,. tho ■ marine artist, wh'o, voicingi'tho nusgivings of a - largo num-ber.-of pfflcorsj -declares that tho navy, is uti teriy linprtpa'red war by reason of. grave [f&ictu^alvblimdcrS^'His,most serip.us.chargo [%.jsth|fc'.'jtjitf.^4nerican..-warships a.ro so low i,tliaty'wlion.. -'s(e4ming -'!lt any speed in ."'rough :jvatb.iitl\ey..sh'ip.soas in such quantities as to rendpr. a-thirdrpf tho guns useless. ;

liowevor, is hardly less serious.' When - , tho "vessels aro loaded, ho 'fenyS;' tli6' ! sll*oll-pr00f t armour about tli'e wator-Jinoiisysiibmorgpd-.vji According to Mr. -Routerdalil/.whcj say's tjiit .the charges aro admated fi>jrMidS^*Bf" , -i!fi6?lSlfiSfeltl to bo well-founded, the + \vAriilrip6' , iiro lit't'dd' irith inferior 'ammunition shafts from tho turrets to tho. pp.wderVmagazines aro a sourco of. Constant."cljh^ei\ r " ""

criticisms elicited a' furious 'rejOinder Brownson, chief Of tho mnreaiij-oh' 'JjaVigation, ivlio'threatened the Mr. Ilevterdahl with severe disciplinary proceedings. Hardly, however, .had-the-Admiral uttered his threat than his retirement: was suddenly announced in Washington.. ; -~ •. ; . . '• : . Vprlt,f n .Evonmg Post", commont--iiig;6h>:AdinirSl Hrbwhson's removal and the caused it, demands tlio immediate ajuipiiitnient of, an expert c;„mmissiou to inveitiga : t'P tlie condition of the navy. . v-iiU, Zl ; Mr. ': RouterdahrE,- charges appear in "M'Cluro's Magaziiie'.',' Ho quotes tho lessons of tho liusso-JapaWso w'ar, embodied in, tho Dreadiioughti 'an'd^kAVs: ' "Tho United tStatbS'lnakes no movement to raiso its water-line armour to wliero it should bo. Fivo big battleships aro now building, not'ono of thorn, in spito of tho continual protest of our sea-going officers, with its mainThree"'of. these completion to, ha .ch'angedj.T )■ m:'."Tho- Virginia', with all her ports closed by .stool buckler!), sbippe4 120 tons of water into 't-urre^,. during a-trip from Cnha 'to' Hampton Roads ;i ; few months ago. With these ports open for action during bad wea'flier;. eSchijVaye'i-il'piild send through them ;t'ons-of;,irately,/The'. elcctrical installations of 'thev utiieliinory- vy'iiich' turns tho turret, hoists "tile nminunitibiv'iiud blovates tho guns, would be sbort-eireuitcd iind burnt out, and tho turto tlio'handling 'room, and from there di:less.. Thb'wa'ter-woiild pass down insido t-hi tur-rjret-t-o .tlio. liajidliriga-oom ,and from thero" di- . . .. ' > 'I*u c pt! nir - wordsit would bo impossible in 'rough weather.vtb.,aim and;, fire 'the' forwanl turret guns,'one-half; that is, of our heaviest guns, Which: t'oniv'tho main reliance .of rtfe modern-battleship- In tho samo"weather, battleships-,I; with, their high bows, "could-firo their forward..turret guns. wiHi ,paso.' f , ■