Show yA 51 r I Great Great Greaf Navy for fOi u. u S. S Interest in the lower house of congress will now center around the debate on ms the naval bill as passed by the senate fh This s bill authorizes the construction of one hundred and seven fifty-seven warships sixty six of which are to be begun as soon as practicable the construction construction construction con con- of the remainder to be begun prior to July 1 1919 President Wilson Vilson has already urged the passage of this measure bv by the lower house of congress and thus h has s disarmed those critics l 1 j ha have hae e condemned him him for alleged lack of appreciation ion of of off this preparedness needs The bill as as passed first by the house called for two seventy ne new v s1 to be built at once 1 This program included no but five battle cruisers I I four scout cruisers ten torpedo boat destroyers er no fleet submarines but three coast submarines of the eight hundred ton type and forty- forty seven submarines of the smaller type The senate s nate bill bili authorizes a total of ten six battle cruisers cruiser ten scout cruisers fifty torpedo boat destroyers nine fleet sub submarines r nes three thre c coast ast submarines and five nd five fifty submarines of the smaller type The senate construction program calls for the following to be built as soon as possible Four our four battle cruisers I four scout cruisers twenty torpedo boat destroyers three coast submarines submarines submarines sub sub- marines and twenty-seven twenty submarines of the smaller type with auxiliary auxiliary auxiliary aux- aux ships Now this amended d bill bili g goes es back to the house for consideration con con- The United States has the greatest coast line to defend of an any great nation in the world and we believe that the American people want it well defended Our fleet if it were sent to sea tomorrow to d defend fend our Atlantic I coast from Eastport Me to toI I the anama canal would go out with I the commander in chief and everybody under tinder his command practically practically I cally blindfolded testified Real Admi al Knight recently before a committee from the lower house of congress This explained he was true because the American n navy has no f fast st cruisers for scout duty I am sure all aJI know testified Admiral Knight that the very first thing that the commander of an army or fleet needs is information of the enemy his whereabouts his movements the constitution eon con of his force a and 1 if possible information as to his plans con I I v There are at present no battle cruisers in the American navy s laud and Admiral Knight strongly urged tl the e construction of several of I I these useful ships The necessity of having powerful for forthe for the brunt of the battle w was s again demonstrated in th the battle off I I Jutland bank when the British and German fleets recently fought a afie fie battle I Because the British lost a few battle cruisers in that engagement some naval experts drew the conclusion that this type of fighting I ship was not as valuable as it has been pictured The majority however took the view that the battle cruisers in that fight were forc forced d to take a part not intended for them In other words they had to engage the German because because because be be- cause the British grand fleet was not there to do this work Admiral Jellicoe in command of the British grand fleet is believed to have sent out the smaller fleet under command of Admiral Beatty as a lure to draw the Germans out with the hope that he could later bring up his powerful As it turned out however he Jle lost the bait without catching the fish Admiral Jellicoe coe knew that the German Zeppelins were doing scout scout duty for the Ger German an fleet and it is believed that he figured I I that if they saw the smaller fleet under Admiral Beatty alone they r. would report it safe for the Germans to give battle Then it is the supposition Admiral Jellicoe intended to come ome up with his powerful and overtake the Germans before they could escape from the ships under Admiral Beatty Thick weather however however however how how- ever set sot in and made it impossible for the British grand fleet t to maintain contact with the retiring Germans The battle cruisers were never built for the task they w were re called I upon to fill in th that t fight Battle cruisers are built for speed peed and have long range gun un power but they are not heavily armored sacrificing this protective I feature for the speed they gain In the the- b battle off Jutland bank however they were forced to fight at close range Iange with heavily armored Admiral Knight in his testimony before the house committee said Had the success which Admiral Jellicoe claims he had almost within grasp been actually attained it would have been entirely due to the battle cruisers and the loss of three of these would have been a small price to pay for such a result In other words the battle of Jutland so far from discrediting the battle cruiser cruiser has added a new area rea to to i its s possible field of usefulness and we may may now Bay say of it that in m addition to its use for scouting and screening and of operating as a a fast wing against the flanks of an enemy's fleet it I may nay be used in holding an enemy fleet until our main fleet can come up up That it may maJ be subject to heavy losses in accomplishing this task j does not make the task less useful or less brilliant I |