The Public Ledger

NEW SHIP PLANS ARE ANNOUNCED

Washington, August 9—Secretary Daniels announced today that plans for the ships to be built under the pending naval bill were so far advanced that contracts for all but the battle cruisers and the ammunition ships can be advertised within a week after the measure has been signed by the President. A tentative sketch of the ammunition ships was completed today and plans for the battle cruisers are progressing favorably enough to make it certain that they can be advertised before October 1.

The Secretary's announcement outlined the characteristics of the four new battleships Congress is expected to authorize. They will carry main batteries of eight sixteen-inch guns each: as against the twelve fourteen-inch guns of ships of the California and Tennessee classes. Otherwise they will duplicate the Tennessee class, with a displacement of 32,000 tons Vessels of 36,000 tons carrying ten sixteen-inch rifles have been considered but many naval experts opposed the larger type unless there was a corresponding increase in speed The new ship will be required to make twenty-one knots an hour, as is the case with the Tennessee class.