FRENCH NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 416, 27 January 1909, Page 7

FRENCH NAVY.

BAD STATE OF SHIPS AND PERSONNEL ,;-A BIO' PROGRAMME,.. ; - THIRTY-TWO MILLIONS IN FIVE - U YEARS.- ; (ei TElEGEArn—pkess association—copibjout.) (Rec. January 27, 1.10"a.m.):Paris, January 26. ■M. Picard, French Minister of-Marine, has submitted ;to M. Caillaux, Minister for Fii nance, a proposal -to spend thirty-two mil-, I liori' sterling on the navy, : spread over five .years... ; :/ The Minister of Marine, finds- that great administrative waste and extravagance occur in tho. navy, and. among the Workmen there is indiscipline and a spirit of Socialism. Ho emp]iasisos < tho need of now first-class battleships and. the replenishment of,storeß. The Paris newspaper " JournaV' calculating on the basis or figures embodied by Mi ' Chaumet (Deputy for Bordeaux) in a report , on, the 1 naval estimates,; states that four .battleships out of fifteen are in bad condition, and only sis are in good condition; while only 34 out of 162 torpedoerß are fit' for service. , DECAY OF FRENCH FLEET. ■M. 'Picard recently declared in the French' Chamljer that the French ; fleet at present is not that of a . great maritime Power." - . - M. Chaumet; reporter of the French-naval I estimates, in his : last report, begins by pointing out that, taking the German basis of '20 years for the life of a battleship, France haS only 12 battleships whioh .can b6 regarded as capable-,6f;:taking,their place'in.the first line,, and three others which might, possibly do so, There 'are coast-defence ships which are still;sufficiently modern, but which are of doubtful value for offensive purposes.; There are 21 armoured Cruisers, of which six are in the reserve. ■' Four of them are more than ten years old, but : they: ore - all • counted ■ as "good" -in spite of defects in-the -design' of the more recent of them.' As for the 25 protected cruisers, "no one would venture to put them in line of battle," - i-'-i

•Tjiere are 351. torpedo-boat - destroyers and torpedo-boats,- 30 submarines, , and . 38. submersible's, but - many of these > can only be used for. defensive purposes. The torpedo-boats, have ; a~ smaller tonnage: than thoso of other navies,'and-50 per cent, of them are constantly under repair. The navy, as a -whole, is wanting in scouts-and' mining vessels.- There is .no floating workshop. The -ships have only one Tange-nnder each, and that is unprotected. The two- active divisions of the 'Mediterranean .Squadron are, on an average, 600 men short of their complement.'-The two reserve, divisions have; only sufficient crews to keep them clean, and .would require over 800 men to bring them up to ,war strength. There are constant complaints of, a' shortage of engine-room - hands. and stokers. ' AVcomplete; renewal of ,'guns 'ahd stocks of. powder and projectiles is desirable. The. great naval ports of Toulon, Brest, and Cherbourg need to be brought up to date. ' " -