The Great Scrap Heap

The sale of battleships and battle cruisers, which under the Limitation of Armaments Treaty must become defunct, will be conducted by the Navy Department before Dec. 1. Assistant Secretary Roosevelt explained that the ships would be sold for salvage and that the sale " will be the largest of its kind ever arranged, adding: " In other countries, notably Great Britain, the industry of ship-breaking has long been established; this industry is yet in its infancy in America. The Department believes the forthcoming sale may well establish such an industry on a sound basis in this country." The first sale will take place on Oct. 25 and will consist of ships under construction on the ways in Government Navy yards: Battleships South Dakota and Indiana at New York; Montana at Mare Island; North Carolina at Norfolk. Battle cruisers* Constitution and United States at Philadelphia. The second sale, on Nov. 1, will include older vessels, now afloat but out of commission: Battleships New Hampshire (launched 1906) and Louisiana (1904) at Philadelphia; Georgia (1904) and Rhode Island (1904) at Mare Island; Connecticut (1904) at Puget Sound. The third sale, on Nov. 8, will consist of battleships and battle cruisers under construction on the ways in private shipyards: Battleship Iowa at Newport News; Massachusetts at Fore River. Battle cruisers Constellation and Hanger at Newport News. The fourth sale, on Nov. 30, will also include older vessels now out of commission: Battleships Michigan (1908), Minnesota (1905) and Kansas (1905) at Philadelphia; Vermont (1905) and Nebraska (1904) at Mare Island; Delaware (1909) at Boston. According to the terms of the Treaty these ships must first be dismantled. It is possible that the dismantling of the Delaware, which has been cruising in European waters, will not be completed in time for the sale of Nov. 30, in which case it will be sold later.

* Battle cruisers differ from battleships principally in that they sacrifice a certain degree of armor protection for greater speed. They are much larger and more heavily armed than scout cruisers.