94 DEVELOPMENT OF THE THREE-PLANE NAVY, ETC. 



of the largest bombs carried by aeroplanes can destroy a battleship, we may conclude that, 

 in the naval battles of the future, victory will go to the forces which control the air. 



The aeroplane carrier ships which transport the scouting, fighting and bombing planes 

 will become the ships from which the naval engagements of the future will be carried on and 

 directed. It remains to further develop the submarine, which in the World War surprised us 

 by its work and development. The surface forces can be but little developed, and the greatest 

 possibilities and probabilities of development are in the air forces, which air forces are to 

 become of supreme importance. 



DISCUSSION. 



The President : — The paper presented by Mr. Mason S. Chace is now before you for 

 discussion. I understood that there were several gentlemen who wished to make comment 

 on this paper. If no one present desires to discuss the paper at this time we will proceed 

 to the next paper. 



Commander Stevenson Taylor, U. S. N. R., Pa\st President: — It seems to me only 

 fair that notice should be taken of the fact that if the meeting had been held a week earlier 

 there might have been much comment and discussion on these two papers. The subject of 

 naval disarmament having been taken up by a much greater conference than ours, there is 

 not much opportunity for this body to interject its opinions into the world's field. 



The President: — The sentiments just expressed by Commander Taylor are undoubt- 

 edly shared by everyone present. The desire to keep entirely out of a field of discussion 

 which might be, even in the slightest degree, detrimental to the best development of the delib- 

 erations now in progress in Washington is very much upon the mind of everyone. That, 

 undoubtedly, accounts for the lack of desire to project oneself unnecessarily into such a field 

 at the present time. I think it well, however, that the remarks of Commander Taylor be pub- 

 lished in our Proceedings so that the status of this Society with respect to the vastly impor- 

 tant matters now in progress should be clearly understood. 



I am sure that the members are desirous of expressing their thanks to Mr. Chace for 

 bringing his admirable paper before us. The thanks of the Society are therefore extended to 

 him. 



The next paper on our program, No. 3, is by Mr. W. A. Dobson, Vice-President of the 

 Society. It is entitled "American Classification of American Vessels." In the unavoidable 

 absence of the author, the paper will be read in abstract by Professor Herbert P. Sadler. 



Professor Sadler presented the paper in abstract. 



