CORRESPONDENCE.
THE UNITED STATES NAVY IN 1909.
[To THE EDITOR Or TRM "SPIMTATOR.1
SIR,—The Navy of the United States now stands, by common consent, second only to that of Great Britain, although its reconstruction was begun but fifteen years ago. This result has been attained by vigorous action and large outlay, especially during the last ten years. For the financial year 1899-1900 the total naval expenditure of the United States was rather less than ten millions sterling, and the vote for new construction and armaments was a little more than two millions; while the additions to the Fleet made during that year consisted entirely of torpedo craft, of which the aggregate tonnage was only eighteen hundred tons. For the current financial year the total vote for the Navy closely approaches twenty-six millions, and the vote for new construction and armaments is about £7,800,000. The total expenditure on new ships and armaments in the ten years has been nearly sixty-three millions sterling. During 1905.6 the expenditure on these items approached £11,400.000, an amount which has only been exceeded by Great Britain during the same period in the two years 1904-6, when the outlay on new construction was swollen by the purchase of two battleships built in this country for the Chilian Navy. The first modern battleships on the effective list of the United States Navy were launched in 1893; there are now on that list twenty-six completed vessels, sixteen of which have been launched since 1901. There are also thirteen completed armoured cruisers of modern types and high speed launched from 1903 onwards ; and at the present time there are building six powerful battleships, four of which are well advanced. During the discussions on the Naval Votes for the current year it was agreed that at least two more battleships shall be laid down in 1909; and since that date the General Board of the United States Navy—an Advisory Committee consisting of officers of high rank—has recommended that four battleships instead of two shall be commenced in 1909. This recom- mendation Las been approved and emphasised by President Roosevelt in his recent Message to Congress in which he said :—
" Tt is desirable to complete as soon as possible a squadron of eight battleships of the best existing types. The North Dakota.' Delawaro," Florida,' and Utah' will form the first division of this squadron. The four vessels proposed [by the General Board] will form the second division. It will be an improvement on the first, the ships being of a single-calibre heavy big-gun type."
The four battleships now building in the United States are of twenty thousand tons displacement, and it is asserted by the Navy Department that they are superior in offensive and defensive powers, while equal in speed, to the vessels of the 'Dreadnought' type added to the Royal Navy during the last four years. Having regard to the larger normal displacement of the American vessels, and to the fact that their designs have been prepared since particulars of the British ships became available for the guidance of the American authorities, this claim Gannet be treated as unreasonable. The con- struction of armoured cruisers has for the time ceased in the United States, and no attempt has been made to rival the 'Invincible' class of the Royal Navy. Instead, it has been decided to concentrate on battleships of great fighting. power and high speed,—a policy which finds support from many distinguished British naval officers. The smaller cruisers built for the United States Fleet in recent years are improvements on the British 'Scouts,' to which they are superior in speed, coal-supply, and armament. Four more ' Scouts ' are recommended by the General Board in next year's programme. In her torpedo flotilla the United States is relatively weak. The "Dilke " Return of this year shows that twenty American torpedo-boat destroyers were afloat on March 31st last, and five others were then building. Accord- ing to official Reports issued by the United States Navy Department on November 1st, fifteen destroyers were then building, five of which were well advanced towards completion, while ten vessels recently ordered are to be of the newest types, with turbine machinery and provision for oil-fuel
The General Board of the United States Navy has called
special attention to the need for more destroyers, and recom- mended that ten more shall be commenced in 1909.
The voyage round the world undertaken by the American battleship fleet has been successfully completed up to date, and is now reaching its latest stages. It has naturally revived the national interest in naval matters, and has influenced public opinion in favour of the plea for a still stronger Navy which has been put forward repeatedly by the General Board and the President. It has also brought into relief the necessity for associating with a fleet of fighting ships various classes of non-combatant vessels : colliers, tank vessels carrying supplies of fresh water or oil-fuel, and ships adapted for the transport of reserves of stores and ammunition. Similar accessories to British fleets have been provided in recent years, and in case of need these can be rapidly supplemented by drawing upon our magnificent mercantile marine. Owing to the condition into which the ocean-going mercantile marine of the United States has fallen during the last half-century, it cannot furnish similar assistance to the war fleet ; and consequently it is considered necessary to construct special colliers and store-ships. The General Board has recom- mended that those requirements shall be provided for without delay. Two special colliers for fleet work are now building, and others are to be laid down.
In the submarine section of the United States Navy there is now fresh activity. About a dozen submarines are com- pleted; seven more are building, and four more are proposed for next year. It is interesting to note that Mr. Holland, a citizen of the United States, by persistent and long-continued effort, brought the type of submarines which bears his name up to a stage of perfection which secured the purchase of several vessels by the United States Navy six or seven years ago ; and that the first British submarines were of the Holland type, and were specified to be practical reproductions of the vessels which had been tried and accepted by the United States Navy. Since that time great developments have been made here in submarine construction, and Great Britain now stands in a commanding position as regards both numbers and types of submarines; whereas the United States made a pause after the first vessels were built, and until quite recently took no determined or systematic action such as has been taken in this country. With the means of production available, and with the knowledge and experience that have been gained, it would undoubtedly be an easy matter to multiply the United States submarine flotillas rapidly • should that policy be deemed expedient. The general feeling, however, in that country is in favour of the policy enunciated by the President and recommended by the General Board, —namely, to concentrate effort mainly on the sea-going fleets, and especially on the construction of battleships, their attendant cruisers and store-ships. This is regarded as the primary need of the United States, with her coasts washed by the waters of two great oceans.
The existing Fleet of the United States is largely due to the national demand for a strong Navy, created and stimulated by the war with Spain. This war led to the immediate execution of a large programme of shipbuilding, and involved obligations for the defence of distant possessions such as were not previously laid upon the United States. The questions which have arisen in more recent times between Japan and the United States have confirmed the resolve to create a still more powerful Navy ; and it has been suggested that the United States should create fleets of such numbers and types as would ensure effective and simultaneous action in both the Atlantic and Pacific. The understanding just reached with Japan may somewhat modify the policy of naval expansion; but the rapid growth of the German Navy, which is carefully watched by the United States authorities, may stimulate them to further action. Another important con- sideration may be noted. Enormous developments of ship- yards, engineering establishments, steelworks, and armour- plate factories took place when the war with Spain excited public feeling, and led to large investments of capital. Temporary activity has been followed by smaller pro- grammes of warship construction, and the various Bills for granting subsidies to the building and working of mercantile vessels have not been accepted by Congress. As a consequence, there has been for several years past a large margin of unemployed productive power repre- senting capital on which little or no return has been made to investors. The persistent agitation which has been in progress for some years in favour of ship subsidies and the encourage- ment of the ocean-going mercantile fleet by the United States has probably been largely due to these facts, and is not likely to cease. Pressure has been and will be put upon the Govern- ment to take action which would be more favourable to the interests of shipbuilding and e.hipowning, and the President- elect has declared in favour of such action. Whatever may come of this agitation, the fact remains that at the present time the United States possesses a greater warship-building capability than any other country except Great Britain ; and if the policy of naval expansion should find favour on account of the conditions mentioned or for any other reason, the Naval Department would have no difficulty in giving effect to that policy quickly and on the largest scale, while the skilled naval architects in that Department and in private employment may be trusted to prepare designs in no sense inferior to those of European rivals.—I am, Sir, Ste., W. H. WHITE.
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