The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY. APRIL 3, ,1903. THE AMERICAN NAVY

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2156, 3 April 1908, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY. APRIL 3, ,1903. THE AMERICAN NAVY

Although tho American fleet now on its famous cruise \vas despatched with a groat flourish of trumpets as a marvellous aggregation of naval strength, it must not bo imagined that there-arc no adverse criticisms of the modern armada. Like tho British navy, that which has been built up byUncle Sam has to bear tho brunt of severe attacks both from those who are entirely ignorant of the subject and also from others whoso reputation entitle their utterances to a. gobcl deal of respect. An article in McClure’s Magazine avers that stfle great fleet now en route to San Francisco would bo likely to meet the ifato of that under-Ad-miral ltoidestvensky at Tsushima if pitted against modern -war ,vessels. The article is .written by Mr Henry Reuterdahl, ah associate of the United States Naval Institute, and the American editor of Jane’s “Fighting Ships.” But it is believed in some quarters, according to the Standard, that though the pen is that of Reuterdalil, 'tho voice, is that of Admiral Evans, now iir command of tllio great “Armada.” 'Mr Reuterdahl affirms that “of all our battleships not one shows its main armour belt six inches above the water, when fully equipped and ready ifor sea. The condition of our armoured cruisers is almost tho same. Tho United States has five hig battleships now building, hot’one'of them, "in spite of the continual protest of our sea-going officers, with its main holt above tho water line.” Mr Reuterdahl, .by a sories of figures, shows that it would bo 'impossible in heavy weather “to .aim and fire the forward turret guns, which form the inaiu reliance of the modern battleship, In the same weather, foreign battleships, with tlieir high --bows, could fire -their forward turret guns with ease. The handicap is still worse for our armoured cruisers. . , . The broadside .guns on our fillips are in even worse position than those in the forward turrets. >ln .the ‘Georgia,’ ‘ldaho,’ and ‘Connecticut* class — containing the twelve, largest battleships 'afloat—'they -are only about lift above the water. None of'these guns could be fifed to windward while the ships were steaming at battle speed against even a moderate se'a-.-’ r< Tvtr Ileutprdahl points out that the'Navy Department has been repeatedly appealed to on this matter of low freeboard; yet the lates-t ship -afloat, Ad-' miral Evan’s flagship, the - “Connecis only 18i£t -above water line at the bow, as compared .aydth t-ljp “Dreadnought’s” -2811. ’He states that the new -battleship ‘■Virginia,” with all her ports closed by, steel bucklers, shipped 120 tons of water into her forward turret on a trip from Cuba to Hampton Roads. “With these ports open for action during bad weather, each wave would send through tons of water. The electrical installations would he short-circuited and burnt out, and 'the turret aud its guns would he rendered motionless.” Another grave defect in the latest as well as tho oldest American war vessel !s the open (abaft from the turret to tho magazine. The. danger, is aggravated hy the “enormous turret ports” adopted by the American Navy. “Half a dozen twelve inch shells could enter them (on the ‘Kearsago’ and ‘Kentucky’) at the same time. .... AVlieiv tho ‘Kciar-

sage’ went across "to England and Germany in 1-903 her officers -and crew fitted- wooden canvas, screens, painted to resemble steel inside her gaping turret ports, in an attempt to keen this glaring: .fault-from foreign observation.” While Mr Iteutdrdahl believes the men and officers in the American Navy arc ‘‘not surpassed nor equalled” 'by any navy : in the world, lie .bitterly arraigns the hard and last system of promotion by seniority only which prevails in the .American Navy, -and lio attributes practically alt the serious defects to tlie present ‘‘Bureau’.’ system of administration, on which the AmericanNavy is-built, equipped, and -worked.