EXPENDITURE ON THE NAVY

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21416, 7 March 1935, Page 13

EXPENDITURE ON THE NAVY

Repairs to Capital Ships THREE CRUISERS TO BE BUILT (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—BY ELECTRIC TfciLEGRAi'H COPYIUGHT.) (Received March 7, 1 a.m.) LONDON, March 6. The Navy estimates provide for an expenditure of £60,050,000, an increase of £2,500,000. Of this £2,553,000 will be expended mainly on large repairs and the modernisation of capital ships, in view of the prolongation of their lives by the London Treaty. Provision is made for an increase of 2000 in the fleet's personnel. The construction programme for 1935 consists of three cruisers, one flotilla leader, eight destroyers, three submarines, and 13 other vessels. Sir Bolton Eyres-Monsell (First Lord of the Admiralty), in a memorandum, says the number of cruisers, destroyers, and submarines ordered is the same as in previous programmes since the treaty. As '.he effect of the large repair programme will fall heavily upon the Queen Elizabeth class in the next few years, it has been decided to station battle cruisers in the Mediterranean in order to equalise the numbers of capital ships in the Home aw' Mediterranean fleets. The civil and service estimates so far issued total £554,000,000, an increase of £ 13,500,000.