HOW AMERICA STANDS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 66, 13 February 1917, Page 3

HOW AMERICA STANDS.

FLEET THIRD IN RANK. LACK OF BATTLE CRUISERS. FUTURE BUILDINC PLANS. AN UNTUTORED ARMY. The position of the United States as a naval power is vastly bettor than her military position, the disproportion being much greater than it was in the ease of Britain before the war. The American Navy, which ranks third on the world's list, is at present composed of 12 dreadnoughts and sup-er-dreadnought battleships, 19 predreadnoughts, four old battleships, 15 armoured cruisers, 16 light cruisers, about 60 destroyers, and from 50 to 60 submarines. The super-dread-nought battleships are large, fairly fast, and heavily armed vessels six in number. Their main armament range, from twelve 12-inch guns in the Wyoming and Arkansas to ten 14-in. in the Nevada and Oklahoma, which were completed last year. The Pennsylvania and Arizona, which should be completed this year, have a displacement of 32,000 tons and an armament of twelve 14-inch and twentytwo 5-inch gnus. Of the older ships, eleven might be able to take their places in the battle line, but the remainder are deficient in both armament and speed. The cruisers include a useful class of four, armed with four 10-inch and sixteen 6-inch guns, but none of the rest cany anything bigger than the 8-inch weapon. Even the later vessels have a speed of only 22 knots. Only three of the light cruisers are up to modern requirements in the matter of speed. THE NAVY'S WEAKNESSES. The weaknesses of the United States Navy are notorious. They have been

discussed very freely during the past few especially since the out break of the war. The programmes of the Naval Board have been cut down by Congress, and politics are be lieved to have interfered seriously with the Navy's efficiency. The Fleet i entirely without battle-cruisers, verv short of light craft, and is i;ot pro perly manned. There is no adequate General Staff. In 191-1 Hear-Admiral Fisher sai this in his evidence before the Housi Committee on Naval Affairs: "i would say it would lake about fiv< years to get ready with our Kavy t' light successfully rgpinst an ertectiv< navy. I am not thinking so much oi the material of the ship as of the oper ations. What I have in mind all tintime is what 1 would do if i were to have war to-morrow or next month When I think of the number o. things that Ave would have to do t< get the Navy into really effective shape—by which i mem having plans, plans of preparation and plans of conduct of the war, and properly diilled mine-layers and mim.-sweep-ors, and the aeronautical branen—when I think of all that Ims to be done in preparing general plans am. detail plans of war, in getting tin personnel* enlisted and trained, ready to light our battleships that are now m reserve and in ordinary, and figure it all out, I conclude that it will-take five years."

Recently Admiral Fletcher stated to the same committee that every one o the battleships on active duty wa; eight to seventeen officers short, and between them they needed—these fifteen ships—Booo more men. Uf the oilier six vessels of tile Atlantic Squadron, three were so crippled lor want of officers and men that Uiey could not go with the fle?t. The want of battle onus, - -, was recognised in the hig £63,CO(UH)I) vote passed last August, when it was decided to lay down four vessels with a displacement of 35.000,000 tons, the other details being:—Length. 850 ft: beam. 97ft; horse-power, 200.000; speed, 32 to 33 knots; armament. ,ten 14in : cost 'A\ posed to lav down four 32,000-ton

battleships carrying eight lCiff. guns. together with four scout cruisers. 2'. destroyers, and 30 submarines, STATE OF THE ARWY. The peace strength of the United States Army is about 100,000. Tinregulars, who have a-very high repu tation for efficiency, ■"■number about 30,000, and the balance is made up by the .National Guard, or' . volunteers, and the reserve militia. Eulistmeut in the regular array is for seven years, of which four are spent with brie colours., The Natf ional Guard,- which has a strong 'paper' organisation, is a generally discredited body, and has never'entered into the schemes of the "preparedness" advocates. In general it lacks equipment, and the efficiency of the training varies a good deal in different localities. Its unreadiness for active service has been shown during the past year, when much of it was mobilised for service on the Mexican bolder. A large percentage of the men were found to be physically unlit for active service, and many others arrived at their destination without uniforms or equipment. The milita reserve consists of practically all cit/.ens between tin- ages of 18 and 45 years, and may be called up by the President in times of national crisis. It exists on paper only. There are various proposals, official and otherwise, for putting the citizen forces on a better basis, but very little has yet been done in the .matter.