AMERICA'S WARSHIPS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 180, 25 April 1908, Page 5

AMERICA'S WARSHIPS

ARB THEY DEFECTIVE? SIR Wlf-U/IM WHITE'S OPINJON. , "EQUAL TO AXVTHING." , BIT TELEQHAPH-rPHESS ASSOCIATION—COrVIUOHJ New Yorlt, April' 23. d Sir William Wlnlo, the eminent naval aru chitept, in an interview at Boston, declared that the'American-Navy, ship for ship, was equal; to anything m the >vorld. •' , /"Next to tho Bmish," said Sir William, "J think it.is tho best in tho world." 1 ' - " . ' ■ CONDEMNATION AND REPLY. 1 Sir 'William AVlnto was for many . years . Director, of Naval Construction in: Great Brit-' ain,- and .'as such ' wafi 1 . thei brain behind ' the building of tho .'British-. Navy.' His present . i Pronouncement ij': therefore of the highest im-; >; pprtahce,' for '.he speaks as ' a sort of. referee between.' thoso who ■ have''.criticised the' struc-' tural features of .United States warships, and " those, who '..have'/defended; them.; 'Sir' William White's: verdict:' appears .to;: be'' against'.the' . critics. ■ .... ' : Tlie Criticism referred to, v,-(is "certajrily sweep-', ing enough. /It was voiced inM'Cliire's Magazine" -in'.Tanuarv" last, by Mr., Henry Eeuter-; .: (Jahl,. Associate, of: tie United ('States. Naval In- 1 7 stitute . and' Aipericah . editor'; of; 'Mr. '• Jane's . " Fighting .;Ships.'^'. ; Mr'.' Keuterdahl declares ,< that' the' United States vnavy lis' utterly unprb- ! pared 'war, by .reason .of grave structural :olundprs:>His' most'serious charge is "'that': the ; American warships.are so-low that-whenstoam-lng. jit: any;.speed >:in rough -/water ' they ship seas in such' quantities '' as to render a .third ■ of tho, guns "useless.; The second '.charge, 'however, is hardly less serious. -When-tho. vessels are loaded,,'.jtesays', - the" shell : prpof •-.armour' . about ..tho water-lino" i§' submerged, According ; to Mr, .Jieuterdahli: who'says' that .the. charges .- are admitted bjvmest. of the officers to Ipe wellfounded, ,the' 'warships are fitted \vith • mferiojr , Jiqjsts,-: while the open shafts from the- : Jtjirr'et3 ;;to. thepoiy^Ler': magazines .' are ' a .- gpurce'bf cba^nt''danger:.''H^sl»te;::''. : vV:''' "Tho'United' States mates' no 'niovomoht to . raise nts'whter-line,'armour ;,to'where' it should , be; ;';Eiyb;:big^ba'(ttl9ships.are now building, not one' of .Ithera, in spite of.. tho continual 'protest : • of our* sea-gping officers,' with' its mainbeltj above the lvaterJiiie: .-Three'of these are .too far/along towards , completion' to;; lie. 'changed. Virginia, ,with all,, her- ports'closed: by '6teel' puckers', 120! tons' of i water:into her forward turret 'during',a; : trip -from Cuba'".to Hampton Epads . a 'few;: iho'nthf ago.'' With . these .ports -■ open for. action during bad weather, each wave would send:.through'them'."tons of water./ The electrical- installations of the' machinery; .which 'ti;rijs"''theturret, ljioists tlie'-'ammunition,' >nd elevates* thq guns, -would be short-circuited and - burnt-' out,-.:and the! -water '.would v pass ;down iiiside the ': turret :to :the .handljng-room,' and fronv there",directly' to' the magazines- In other words;- it-would be liinpbssible in t rough .weathor to' aim ';'and' v, fire : the ."forward" turret' giins, one- , half,; thatis, 1 of. our .hbavipst guns,' which form : 'the':main' .reliance of ':the' modern 1 battleship. In'the same, weather,"foreign; battleships, ' with i their high bows, could fire, their'forward turrot gnns.;.wji ; 'e'ase/''-'.C? i , !.^' j '7' -V, I '-;' : -: The '.'pppositb'. the "case is' taken-up by argues thatif the? American guns: are-,near' (lie wjiter, there arp iijbre :than compensating'advantagGS. : .''Thi§ much 'is'cort'aini We have nover'departed from that "successful old American r policy' of having our warships more: heavily gunned- than .ships ■of.'thetsame,. class of''all'othdv : foroign".'navies; ■This .is'- absolutely > So'- with' tho'/ships of, -Ad- 1 miral .Evans's"fleet.Ship for.' shi^.-;no,'foreign ships,,"of,:the- .same', dates, are- their :; equals .in ;is> opr^ajn::^Qomga^ed'::with.djF-vthb- same' , like the . . of:. armour ithat prptects': the 7 -guhs , jji' the 'turrets, n yet.-an- ] ,other; ; - oing Ttje; boilers ' and , ■of : bur'-wsrships'liavp: always tjiickor ,a'rmour ; pro'-.. "tbotion than;- cohtenipprary fprejgn ships' h?vc. ' The groat'i cry -is ■ mado. ; that'-the'^tops-of; our. - armour bells, are..tgo. near, tho. water' line, "and that:our guns'are not ; higli enough, placed . above", the'.;water.," This is true, l 'but '.to-'accom- ; : plish we iWou]d')]iavoi,to our ( it'should be rb- ] imembered 'tfiat'.iiT badn .or'o'ur Miip"S f .«'§' still ] 'have' good ;.'prpte'ction"abovo" the Villain''belt." r ' j ; • " The 'designs.: of our ,:.w;irships - liavo 'always J :bebn .m'iich.' J better; than those .Of foreign .'ships, ,] turrets are-mucli: bettbr'-protected,'and, :as 'a:Veonse ; quence', pur great giins'wiU' figlit -longer. : t Thp. Machinery rif bbtteruprotected,' ivhichJ.'re-: r ,suits;- that'.-''the;'motive', poiy'er - is. ; much less, -1 , to ; damage i in' battle than that 1 , of' for- ;I ,'eigp.' ships-' - Qn.ith.o - whole,.. Auiericans should cbe well satisfied.witli-this battleships."; .h