SIZE OF WARSHIPS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20491, 9 March 1932, Page 11

SIZE OF WARSHIPS.

BRITAIN FAVOURS REDUCTION. NAVAL ESTIMATES DISCUSSED. (UNITED press association—b* electric TELEGRAPH —COPYRIGHT.) (Received March Bth, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 7. The First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Bolton Eyres-Monsell, introducing the Navy Estimates in the House of Commons, said ho felt like "Dr. Jekyli and Mr Hyde" as ho had just returned from the Disarmament Conference, where the programme was rigidly limited by tho Washington and London Naval Treaties. Ho hoped the Disarmament Conference would reduce the sizes of ships, including _ lighter cruisers. If it did not, Britain would bo forced to build bigger ships and to seek more cruiser tonnage. The present were the lowest Navy Estimates sinco 1913. Our danger was not invasion, but interruption and destruction of the mercantile marine. The Empire's ships and cargoes, wort!) £700,000,000, were spread over 80,000 miles of sea routes. For its security it needed many lightly-armed cruisers. This was a small insurance to pay for the security of our trade. Signor Grandi (Italian Foreign Minister) had shown at Geneva that world expenditure on armaments from 1925 to 1930 had increased by £120,000,000. British naval expenditure during this period had fallen by £8,000,000. Comparative Weakness. In the House of Commons during the discussion of the Naval estimates, Mr George Hall (Labour, Abcrdare, former Labour Civil Lord of the Admiralty) said Labour would support the largest possiblo reduction of armed forces obtainable at tho Disarmament Conference. Ho asked if tho Government had decided to slow down tho work on the Singapore Base. He knew of the difficulties, in view of commitments to the contractors, and the generous contributions by the Dominions and Colonies. Sir Austen Chamberlain (Conservative) said the Navy was incomparably weaker than before the war, and proportionately weaker than other navies. Year after year, in anticipation of disarmament in other lands, Great Britain had made drastic reductions, while they had built up forces. These estimates were not measured by wlTat was required for defence or the fulfilment of obligations: they were dictated solely by a condition of extreme financial emergency, and were defensible only on that ground. NAVY VOTE CARRIED. (Received March Sth, p.m.) LONDON, March S. In the House of Commons, the Navy vote was carried.