THE FUTURE OF DREADNOUGHTS.

Evening Star, Issue 15513, 8 June 1914, Page 6

THE FUTURE OF DREADNOUGHTS.

ADMIRAL SCOTT'S PREDICTION. IS IT WARRANTED BY FACTS? Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyriglit. LONDON. June 6. Admiral Scott's dictum is much discussed. The 'Pall Mall Gazette' states that the holocaust at last naval manoeuvres was owing to Vice-Admiral Jellicoe allowing the submarines to go a-hunting. Their " hag" was so enormous that the manoeuvres ended abruptly. The flagship was specially attacked, and not an Admiral was left afloat. Vice-Admiral Jellicoe suffered least, owing to his keeping out at sea and steaming at high speed" "by day and night.

Mr Fred T. Jane, the naval writer and expert-, denies -that capital ships are doomed. He asserts Shat submarines are too slow and too low to see over waves. Other experts point out that there was a similar cry when torpedoes were invented. They contend that Admiral Scott is wrong in suggesting that submarines are invulnerabje. It is not true that they are able to attack booms, and particularly the new explosive booms, which have proved a great success on the Continent-

RADICAL PRESS COMMENTS. LONDON, June 6. The 'Daily Chronicle* thinks that Admiral Scott has made too sweeping deductions, hut it adjm-es Mr Churchill to go easy in battleship building, and not to squander millions on vessels that are not wanted. The ' Daily News' welcomes the breaking of what it terms the age of imbecility, which cripples the national finances and entangles foreign affairs. THE VOICE OF REASON. "WAIT," SAY THE EXPERTS.

, LONDON, June 5. Admiral Sir Cyprian Bridge is of opinion that neither submarines nor torpedoes have been tested sufficiently to justify Admiral Scott's conclusion.

Mr J. P. Hannon (secretary of the Navy says that Admiral Scott's statement is calculated seriously to injure Great Britain's sea supremacy at a moment when economists are seeking to reduce expenditure. Submarines, he contends, have not reached such a stage in evolution as to warrant Admiral Scott's assertions.

WHAT AERIAL BOMBS CAN DO. BERLIN, June 6. Dr Eekener states that Zeppelin airships on tho Lower Elbe are now dropping bombs from _ a height of 5,000 ft within circles of 15ft. This, he says, is equivalent to the diameter of a battleship's funnel. AEROPLANES SAFE FROM COUNTER ATTACK. LONDON, Jun« 7. War Office inquiries suggest that no gun has yet been devised that is capable of warding off an aeroplane attack. At a height of 3,000 ft aeroplanes are safe from rifle fire, and at 4,000 ft from gun fire. An armored aeroplane will be practically immune from gun fire at 1,500 ft. The authorities are inclined to believe that unless aeroplanes fly below this height but little danger or damage can come from the ground.