Show COSTLY BATTLESHIPS Some expel experts ts contend that the battleship is still the backbone of ofa a natIons natIon's naval strength wIllIe while assel assert t that it IS an obsolete lete Jete weapon at the mercy of submarines destroyers and aircraft However thIS may be It must be admItted that the modern battleship IS a costly pIece of naval equipment and its cost has risen amazingly m in recent ThIS may be Illustrated by a comparIson of the cost of the Alkansas commissIOned m in 1912 with the Colorado our most expensIve battle wagon fIrst put into sel sei vice in 1923 each the most of her day The Alkansas carrIed inch 1212 12 inch 12 guns and 16 inch 5 guns and cst The cairies 8 inch mch 16 and 12 5 inch guns and cost In spIte of her Immensely greater cost the Colorado has a speed slightly less than that of the old Arkansas Today a fIrst class battleshIp or battle cruiser would cost nearly fIve tImes as much as the Arkansas which was the prIde of the Navy only 22 years ago And some contend that such a vessel could be destroyed by bombing planes or small naval craft using torpedoes in t order Whether this be true or not it should I give the government something to think about before investing too heavIly in new battleships I |