The greatest concentration of sea power in the history of the Aweri can Navy will result from the junction of the reorganized Atlantic and Pacific fleets off the Pacific Coast next January under plans now being prepared by the Bureau of Naval Operations. The great naval spectacle probably will staged in the vicinity of the Gulf of Panama, says the "New York Times Admiral Henry B. Wilson, Commander-in-Chief of "the Atlantic fleet, will be senior officer of the combined force, with Admiral Hugh Rodman, Chief of the Pacific fleet, second in command, Tar Navy's Hicurst Mark The January manceuvres will set anew mark in American naval pro-grees. For the first time in the history of the new navy the battleship feet will be supported by reasonably adequate number of destroyers and other light craft. Submarines will be available in abundance, together with sufficient naval aircraft for all tactical purposes and a fully rounded out fleet of vessels. The total number of vessels. to participate will depend on the progress of re-cruising, as many ships are in serve now for lack of crews, but it is probable that Admiral Wilson will command at least 300 vessels of all types.
The most modern of dread. noughts to participate in the maneuvres will he the great T lessee. The last word in naval construction, this great floating fortress displaces 32,000 tons, carries twelve fourteen-inch guns and is propelled by electric turbines. The Tennessee is attached to the Atlantic Fleet. A sister ship, the California, probably will not be completed in time to join Admiral Rodman's force before the manceuvres, 'Tex Yesns' DeveLopwenr.
A comparison of total battleship forces available in 1920 with 1910 shows that this year there are 18 dreadnoughts and 19 pre-dreadnoughts, excluding the Oregon class, against 23 pre-dreadnoughts in 1910, including the Oregon class. Most of the battleships listed as available in 1910 are now considered obsolete.
Ten years ago the navy destroyer force consisted of about 38 vessels, including 17. torpedo—_ oats even then practically obsolete. This year Admirals Wilson and Rodman command destroyer forces aggregating more than 200 vessels, with over 100 more in reserve or under construction, In 1910, 16 submarines were carried on the active list of the navy. This year nearly 100 of the submersibles are attached to the two fleets, with about 75 more under construction.
The cruiser strength of the navy has shown little change in the past ten years. In_1910 the backbone of the "orniser force was the "hig
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.