New English Navy Giants.

New York Times 100 years ago today, January 14, 1913:
Five Battleships Planned Bigger Than Our Arkansas.
By Marconi Transatlantic Wireless Telegraph to The New York Times.
    LONDON, Tuesday. Jan. 14.— According to The Daily Mail the work of framing the British Navy estimates for the coming year is nearly completed. The one point remaining for decision, namely, whether five or six battleships shall be laid down, depends upon the Austrian naval programme. If the Admiralty decides to wait before taking action till the Austrian ships are laid down, it may be expected to began five battleships this year.
    The naval programme will then, according to present information, involve an expenditure of $240,000,000, and will include five battleships, six light-armored cruisers, twenty destroyers, a number of submarines, and an addition to the personnel of 5,000 men, making a total of 142,500 officers and men.
    The battleships will be of a new type, the largest and strongest which science can build or money supply. They will displace 27,000 or 28,000 tons, burn oil fuel alone, and steam 25 knots.
    Thus they will be intermediate, between the present dreadnought battleship and battle cruiser. They will be armed in all probability with eight 16 1/4-inch guns, each firing 2,200-pound shells, or, if the 16 1/4-inch gun is not adopted, with 15-inch guns, firing shells that weigh about 1,800 pounds.