THE BRITISH NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 442, 26 February 1909, Page 7

THE BRITISH NAVY.

;■•;;;;■,;;';;, anew';crt:jser,,■.;;; v , - ; \ |Dt :iii,xeaiii-B—l'UEss.i'swr.i^riiiv-corTKrpiir)

■:i i ; : ?"- {/ '•■::' ! '~/r'- '■■'■( -London,/Februiry.;'2i; v : ■",' A,new,"cruiser to be,.calidd the'lndefatig-. able ; has ; beeu,begun at Do'yonport;;•■'■ -.'■/,'.■'! i ■ ' '

: COMPARISON WITH OTHER POWERS*;: la- a;recent .article in the .London "Daily ■Mail/':entitles, "The Navy in 1909:' Why Great Britain, must build more Ships," is stated that the cruisers may be grouped as ; follows-'Ar-mojired.cruisors.carriing .heavy guns.o{.B.B-inch: or over, light armoured ■■ cruisers; scouts' steaming .23, (mots, or'over, old, cruisers or large i size; nnd,- old . crnisors. of ■ small size--the • last".' two types valuable mainly for work in the second line.and for the protection of commerce- ■ The figures-are as follow-.— . v .--,■. ....■::;

.':'.' •'Armoured.'Armoured. ' : ' . ; . ::;::;;.;■;. Heavy Lighter; . OidiOruisere.': /Britain ■ !- ■' > <?T *?$ Germany,.-■■■",: ... 9 -'0 '- 17 ' 0 ' Voj" , -.United States ..'. 4 U: > ;v 3 ; : ! 2: '' 20 ■. France: ,' .:.., -:-.;;; 0 J • ■■■■ a'-A-:■ -0 "3 ' ;;l: 18 ■ -Japan ..... v.,. , 4 .-.,' •: 9 ■;. .5 ;; : 0 ::VlO V :"'■ Britain-is a . little ahead'-- of tho • two-Power standard in ~the-first t>vo'. classes, though it'is important to remember. that in cruisers much more than. a. bare supei'iority of 10 per cent or,even 25 per cent., has.always, been'.postulated as necessary by British .authorities on strategy; while Sar George. Clarke has warned ; the British pubho that tho British war make, no, adequate provision the 1 defence of British commerce at the outset of war -In scouts the; British, Navy is lamentably Veak when compared with ,a single Power,'having only , sixteen; against thfc .German seventeen. J. his.weakness must be redressed as'speedily--as ""•Ifi? 6^^ wit ij°! li: , s f onts our Dreadnoughts will bo blind and helpless, the prey, of .hostile destroyers. : Looking at the : above table, the' of -.cruisers to :bo laid down shouldbe. the ..highest speed; and eight : would■ bo better. , ' ■ . ■ ■ ■ -; e