Naval Matters

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Dec 1, 1909

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 47.

ENGLAND recently launched her new cruiser Indefatigable. This cruiser is of the Indomitable type, but with a displacement of 19,000 instead of 17,000 tons.

AUSTRIA’S budget for the year has a deficit of $8,750,000 after allowing for new and increased taxation. With taxation as it now stands, the deficit would amount to more than $30,000,000. The new taxation includes a succession duty, a tax on bachelors, and a tax on mineral waters; while the income tax is increased. New Dreadnoughts do not come into this.

NOVEMBER 27 the German battle-ship Ersatz Boewulf, the third of the improved type of Dreadnoughts, was launched.

A SENSATIONAL trial began in Kiel, November 1, in which many officials of the imperial navy-yard, and several prominent merchants of Kiel and Hamburg, are charged with thefts amounting to more than $250,000. The offenses cover a period of ten years.

THE Delaware, America’s latest battle-ship, is the first of the Dreadnought type built in this country. She has a displacement of 20,000 tons, 35,000 horse-power in her engines, and a speed of 22¼ knots. She is said to be the fastest battle-ship on the sea. She mounts ten 12-inch guns, and is protected by 12-inch armor. There are ten turrets against four on any other ship, which means ten twelve-inch shells every minute in broadside from the decks. The great ship fires five tons of steel projectiles at every broadside. Dewey’s entire fleet at Manila fired only three. There are to be four battle-ships built of the Delaware type. $10,000,000 is the cost. The others are as follows: The North Dakota, a sister ship; the Florida and Utah, of 21,500 tons, now nearly half completed. These are to be followed by the Arkansas and Wyoming, of 26,000 tons, with twelve 12-inch guns. Congress is to be asked for two others, and there is talk that these will mount 14-inch guns, and perhaps be of 30,000 tons. The question is whether they will be 30,000 tons, mounting twelve 14-inch guns, or 25,000 tons, mounting ten 12-inch guns. What vast sums of money will be necessary to build them!

THE government of Chile has decided upon a naval expenditure of $20,000,000. This includes a 20-ton battle-ship, two ocean-going destroyers, and several submarines. Thus is fulfilled the prophecy of Joel, “Let the weak say, I am strong.”