A Slight Error

The Navy Department recently secured a special appropriation of $6500,000 to increase the angle to which guns on 13 battleships could be raised, in order to extend their range. The reason given was that England was doing the same. Now the British Admiralty announces that the angle of the British guns was not raised and the range of their guns was not increased. The Navy Department, however, is considering increasing the angle of our guns in spite of the Admiralty's statement. The British Navy already has a range about 3,000 yards greater than ours. The Japanese battleship Mutzu is reported to have a range of 35,000 yards--5,000 yards greater than that of any American or British ship. In addition, the Japanese are spending $25,000,000 in modernizing their navy. These facts are considered sufficient to warrant the Navy Department project. Whether the proposed change can be made under the Limitation of Armaments Treaty is a question which Secretary Hughes is said to be discussing with the British Foreign Office. Although American Naval officers declare that we are fully within our rights under the Treaty in increasing the range of our guns, Representative Madden, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, announced that he would protest the right of the Navy Department to make the change. Secretary Hughes and President Harding will be consulted before action is taken.