MONSTER BATTLESHIP.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 793, 16 April 1910, Page 13

MONSTER BATTLESHIP.

THE UNITED STATES TO LEAD '■ THE WAT. _At a private/session, of the United btates House of Representatives Naval Affairs Committee, Mr Meyer, Secretary for the Navy, announced his intention of asking for authorisation to lay down in 1911 a battleship .of ' record-breaking dimensions. Tho proposed vessel is fi> be of 32,000- tons, and will cost approximately 18,000,000 dollars (.£3,600,000). This is part of the plan to place the United States in the front rank of the naval Powers of tho World. Mr Meyer said .his purpose was to have the United States lead in advancement, not so muoh in numerical strength or in armament as in improvement and efficiency of guns and ships. This super-Dreadnought is to be armed with 12 14-inch guns, each firing a projectile weighing 1650 pounds, and is expected to cost .£3,000,000. It will be easily seen what a tremendous advance in power this ship will be'on the original English Dreadnonght, which displaces only 17,900 tons, and her sister ships, Bollerophon, Superb, and Tcmeraire, of 18,600 tons. Presumably this monster will have a broadside of ten or 12 guns, and a head and stern fire of eight gune. . The British vessels being armed with ten 12-inoh guns, firing projectiles of 1250 lb., can only manage a broadside of eight guns, throwing 10,0001b. wcjght of metal, which would be, considerably inferior to the Americau un«ad or stern fire, which amounts to 13,2001b. Whilst naval men do not raise 6erioue objections to the size of the vessel, many are of opinion that tho extra weight of the 14-inch 6hell will be discounted by the superior rapidity of fire of 12-inch weapons. , Mr Meyer is firmly convinced that strength lies in size and not numbers.

The construction of such monster battleships will necessitate enlargement of most of the American harbours, notably Portsmouth, Brooklyn, and Norfolk For years there has been a bitter fight in America between , the advoontes of Dreadnoughts and the pre-Dreadnoujjht type. Mr Meyer has the approval of most' of the naval officers on the active list, who complain against the out-of-dato schemes of which they-, torm "the rocking-chair admirals." The leader of the opposition is Commander W L. Capps, Chief Constructor of the United States Navy, who has strongly resisted the construction of warships of over 12,000 tons.