ON THE MAXIMUM DIMENSIONS OF SHIPS. 27 
and if that is one of the limitations, and I am only speaking of the limitations— 
because it would take too long a time to go into any other questions—the ques- 
tions brought up by Sir William as to the regularity and size of ships, ete.—I want 
to say it is a problem for us to study, and if we give it proper study we will 
certainly be able to meet it. 
The question of handling men and handling traffic is largely the same. I 
recall a few years ago in Europe talking to some distinguished generals, and they 
were telling me it would take six hours to detrain an army corps. I said—‘‘Gentle- 
men, I can take you to Chicago and show you where we detrain 40,000 hogs, water 
and pen them in one hour, and if we can do it with hogs why cannot you do it 
with men?” So I say that when it comes to the question of the unloading of 
freight that the genius and the capacity of the mechanical engineer will meet that 
problem, and if that is one of the barriers to the adoption of greater dimensions, 
and the utilization of increased cargo capacity, I want to say that I do not believe 
that barrier is one which should stop our progress. ‘The last cry in handling freight, 
gentlemen, has not been reached by any means. 
Now, as to the size of battleships. I think it is a question in battleships of 
probably the bigger the ship the bigger fighting power you put in, that is what 
you are after when you build big ships. 
Sir William speaks of the multiplication of heavy-gun positions in ships, and 
that the number of such guns carried by individual ships has necessarily involved 
increase of length and displacement. As long as you can place the guns to good 
advantage, and get away without interference, there will be practically an increase 
in the number of guns carried, provided it is an advantage to carry them. 
’ He speaks of the increase of weight due to speed. I believe that the genius 
of the naval engineer and marine engineer will keep pace with the needs for greater 
power in our ships, and we shall be able to produce the power on less and less 
weight, and that the increased speed will be gotten at a less and less proportionate 
net dead weight. 
He speaks again of the dry-docks as affecting the battleships, and I can only 
say that if that affects the possible size of the ship, that we have the genius to take 
care of that problem in the future as we have done it in the past. 
Sir William says,—‘‘My personal conviction, based upon long-continued 
study of the problem, is that the wiser course in warship building would be 
found in a return to more moderate dimensions than a reduced unit-cost for capital 
ships.’’ The moderate dimensions of to-day may be very small for the dimensions 
of to-morrow, or the maximum dimensions of to-day may be the moderate dimen- 
sions of to-morrow. It depends on the demands we make on the naval architect. 
As regards guns, Sir William says:—‘‘Special dangers must be incurred by the 
multiplication of heavy guns and of magazines placed below them.’’ Admiral 
Bowles covered this point as far as the present type of guns is concerned. While 
I thoroughly realize the danger of attempting to prophesy, I believe that modern 
inventive genius is going at such rapid rates that it is a question of only a few years, 
