Washington, Feb. 24.
Despite denials by the War and Navy departments, a high Government official who insisted on remaining anonymous, to-day told the United Press that the two fighting force departments possessed highly confidential reports from aeroplane end battleship manceuvres off the Pacific-Coast indicating that dread-naughts are vulnerable to aerial bombardment.
The information was regarded of great importance because of the split in official quarters regarding what proportion of funds for rear-moment should go to war plane and warship construction.
The secret manœuvres were alleged to have proved that L000lb. bomb exploding within fifty yards of a battleship could seriously damage the ship's internal machinery. The effect on cruisers was said to have been even more serious—United Press,
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