ALL THE WORLD'S FIGHTING SHIPS.*
THE new issues of the two books of reference named below present no fresh features of a notable character. These are scarcely to be expected seeing that one book has appeared for fourteen and the other for sixteen years. Each of them meets the requirements of a large number of readers who are interested in naval affairs. The "Pocket Book" is devoted solely to statistical statements, and is illustrated only by
diagrams of warships. The facts and figures are carefully edited; and, as a rule, no attempt is made to give particulars for ships unless there is trustworthy authority. Mr. Clowes is not ashamed to confess ignorance. " Fighting Ships " is and always has been more enterprising. Its editor takes endless pains in the collection of photographs and drawings of war- ships; he adds many original sketches, collates a great mass of facts and figures, and has many helpers. The richly illustrated record which results from these labours is of great interest. For ships which are building Mr. Jane frequently supplements official statements by intelligent guesses based on personal inspection of vessels still incomplete. Mr. Jane is quite frank about his methods of procedure, and admits that some of the information given may need revision. The lack of certainty applies chiefly, if not entirely, to the new ships of Great Britain and Germany. Naval authorities of France, Italy, Austria, Russia, and Japan make no pretence at secrecy ; the United States is reverting to its former policy of free publication of details for new warships. In this country unfortunately a lead was given six years ago to the policy of professed secrecy; but, as has been often said, that professed secrecy has been here tempered by frequent adver- tisement, and in later years it has not been closely observed. Germany took the cue from us, and has played the part much more thoroughly. Instances might be multiplied, did space permit, of a regrettable lack of exact information respecting German ships now building. One or two must suffice. " Fighting Ships " for the battleship Ostfriesland ' (now approaching completion) gives the following figures Displacement, 21,000 tons ; engines, 25,000 horse-power ;
• Pightfag Ships. By F. T. Jane. London : Sampson Low, Marston and Co. [21s. net.)—The Naval Pocket Book. Edited by B. Laird Clowes. Lou- don: Thacker and Co Va. 8d. net.] armament, 10 121-inch, 14 6-inch, and 16 smaller guns. The German semi-official " Nauticus," published recently, gives for that ship : Displacement, 22,800 (metric) tons ; engines, 28,000 horse-power; armament, 12 12.2-inch, 14 6-inch, and 14 smaller guns. For the armoured cruiser Moltke ' " Fighting Ships" gives 21,800 tons; armament, 8 12.2-inch, 12 6-inch, and 16 smaller guns ; " Nauticus " gives 23,000 tons, 10 11-inch, 12 6-inch, and 12 smaller guns. In these circumstances Mr. Jane's statements of particulars for more recent German ships are necessarily open to question, and he frankly admits that there are doubts.
In his preface Mr. Jane explains that the "General Notes" appended to the descriptions of ships represent an aggregation " of the opinion of those who have served in the ships," which are treated "as good, bad, or indifferent in various respects." He adds : "An impression appears to prevail that these are personal editorial comments." He is undoubtedly correct as to this impression having been framed and expressed in past years. The criticism was not unfair, and it is a matter of congratulation that in the present issue the editor's personal opinions—however they may have been originated or whatever support they may have received from naval officers—are not made so prominent as they have been in the past. Hitherto "Fighting Ships " has contained a number of signed articles contributed by men of recognized standing and dealing with particular problems of warship building. Mr. Jane has come to the conclusion "that articles of this nature are not looked for [in his book], and that the apace they occupied is better filled with that kind of matter to which it is primarily devoted." Most of his readers will be disposed to agree that the change is a wise one, especially in view of the fact that Brassey's "Naval Annual" and the " Annual of the Navy League" (edited by Mr. Alan Bur- goyne) both make communicated articles a prominent feature. Just as the "Naval Pocket Book " serves a distinct purpose as a compendium of statistical information, so "Fighting Ships" cannot fail to attract a larger number of readers if its scheme of operations is restricted in the manner described. This general statement in no way detracts from the value of what has been done in past years nor from the interest attaching to the excellent survey of progress in "Marine Engineering " by Mr. Sells, which is the only signed article published in the new issue of " Fighting Ships." Mr. Sells is an English marine engineer long settled and practising in Italy. He has become a recognized authority in that branch of engineering; he has good sources of information, both in England and throughout the maritime world ; he writes in a style which non-technical readers can understand. Those who desire to follow the trend of advance in ship machinery will find great assistance in this article, and the treatment of the marine steam turbine is of special interest at the present time. It may, however, be doubted whether Mr. Sells's anticipations in regard to the future of reciprocating engines and steam turbines in American warships will be justified by events in the immediate future. American experience in this matter is vastly less extensive than experience gained in the British Navy, and in the latter there is not the slightest tendency to revert to reciprocating engines. The special requirements of warships which commonly proceed at low cruising speeds can be satisfactorily met without abandoning the other and enormous advantages obtainable by their use.
Mr. Jane this year falls into line with the compilers of other books of reference, and groups together, in chronological order, battleships and armoured cruisers of recent date. This grouping of " capital " ships is admittedly reasonable ; the lines of division long assumed and still maintained in the annual Dilke Return presented to the House of Commons are purely arbitrary. Everyone knows that many vessels classed as armoured cruisers in some navies are more powerful fighting machines than vessels classed as battleships in other fleets. Togo ignored such arbitrary distinctions at Tsushima, possibly because no other course was open to him ; but the result of that action justified his decision to use his armoured cruisers as units in the line of battle. The real qualifications which determine whether a warship is fit to be classed as a " capital " ship are her offensive and defensive powers, and they will not be affected by any system of nomenclature, how- ever ingenious or ancient it may be. No doubt opinions differ widely as to the proper method of assessing offensive and defensive powers. Indeed. the most obvious impression pro- duced by the study of information contained in these two books is the need for some standard of comparison. One discovers that even in capital ships built for the same navy at closely approximate dates different ideas have prevailed in relation to the best manner of disposing the guns. Visitors to the recent Naval Review at Spithead must have remarked the differences between the armament of the Dreadnought' and her immediate successors, and that of later vessels which it is the fashion to call super-' Dreadnoughts' then assembled. These differences were no less marked than the differences between the armaments of British capital ships built during the last six years and those of their foreign con- temporaries, such as the French Denton,' the German Von de Tann,' or the American Delaware.' It is strange but true that in the main these differences do not appear to have arisen from any actual experience in war or changes in tactical ideas, but rather to have been due to difference or change of opinion amongst authorities having the power to decide and act. This is not altogether a satisfactory state of affairs, and the designers who have the greatest reason for satisfaction are undoubtedly those of the United States, seeing that other Powers— including Great Britain—have in their latest vessels adopted the main principles upon which the Americans have worked systematically. All the heavy guns are placed at the centre line of the deck and made available on both broadsides ; while powerful head and stern fire is obtained by placing some of the guns higher than others and arranging for them to fire over the tops of adjacent turrets. Still the dispute respecting naval armaments goes on, and the air is full of debates on the need for secondary armaments, the desirability of increase in, the calibre of guns, the advantages and disadvantages of triple-gun turrets, and other details of design. All this after sixty years of incessant change! One may well ask, Where will it all end?
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