THE NAVY PROBLEM.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 547, 30 June 1909, Page 7

THE NAVY PROBLEM.

FISHER REGIME. ADMIRAL BERESFORD'3 CHARGES. PRESS COMMENTS. : ©y Telegraph-Press Assoclatlon.-CppyrlgtiU ' . Lonion, Juno 1 28. : , "IV Times," , in. oommonting .upon, tho results/of the Imperia l Press Conference, ii); .eidentally strongly. deprecates' Lord . Charles Bcrosford's remarks at tlid final meeting of the Conference roga.rding tlio Empire's unproparodness for war, and the need of treating tho whole question of defenco as an Imperial whole. Tho paper considers his remarks premature, seeing that his views are ■still wider consideration of . tho Sub-Commit-tec on Defence. . . ■ The "Daily News" attacks Admiral 13eres-' ford, and warmly supports Sir John Fisher, who, the "News" claims, enjoying '■ the confidence both of Conservative' and Liberal Gom-nmonts,- brought; the: Navy into".a condition. never equallod,before. ' Tho "Morning Post': 1 and tlie "Standard" emphasise the importance of Lord ' Charles Bcrosford's speech, The "Daily Mail" sums tip the result of the Presß Conference as another milestono passed on tho road to unity. THE CRUISER CONTROVERSY. SHOULD THE DOMINIONS INVEST IN DREADNOUGHTS? 1 ' r T j°n? £ f l *® Joints emphasised by . Admiral TW& S ® er£ -' sfor f, "» his. speech to tho tress Conference wero tho need of a strateeieil J ( u ™ u . a ' "*e Admiralty and tho vulnerability of trade routes. As, to tho former ndlnt the' opponents o£ the First Sen .Lord, ; Aifmiral Sir John Fisher, complain' that lie has made the Admiralty a one-man administration, and they urge Oho establishment of an . Admiral Stair Armj-? " Cruisers Preferred, , : ,A<taird^^ f °rdy views'onthe- Mcond point are mado'completeif, wo graft on to ills recent spcech soilie portions, of:that 'which' ho made last, month. Therein.ho; referred: to: the Cutting of trado routes -as. this -; most pressing danger from the oversea Dominions' point. ot view; and. ho.. plainly said that the investment ny tho Dominions-of two millions in i their own homo dofenco, .land ■ ill * cruisers, which' would PMtect,trade,routps, Would;bo'a better': investment than the,- cxnoniilturooC a' similar sum in Dreadnoußhts, whicli would' help to deMs" t t ain , 9 ■: s .h°™B,\ ,It ;wasessential that KS 1 ? t' <!o ts 6 hould bp controlled .aiui administered by th« Dominions, but .111" time of war they should join, 11m "Imperial, fleet. In peace iy ll ?.*, 1 ' 0 dominions'' cruisers ' join tho Mediterranean fleet, and vice versa. • Australia had splendid men, but training was essential. Admiral- Beresford continued:—^Officers and men could bo; interchangeable, and that would bp an cfflcient .method of making an Imperial N t £he.n. When nuy of the component parts of the Empire",was, attacked,, the whole Empire would go as one great servica'.to its assistance." , •tho Times,'?. also, according toycstcrday's cablegrams,' takes, tho same. line. of argument.' Lominohtlng ,on Imjwrial defenco, it suggests' that, inasmuch as.battleships must, actin; concentration; while-, cruisers ' fnust defend tho umpires communications; the assistance of the Dominions, as far as it consists of ships, might take tho form of cruisers.; Cruisers,: being i the best standardised, anil being, thus interchangeable with those of the Motherland, would cmbody and express. the organic unity of ian Imperial fleet much more effectively than battleships could, from the functions they 'are expected to perforin. • , • ~ ■;' ~ Indictment of Scrapping Policy. , ,-But/- their similarity,of view 6n this point does not ■" Tho ; Times " from taking Admiral Beresford to task—vido'to-day's' cablograms~for: waking ad ex parto. .speech' While Ms. ease-,is. still sub dedlaHng Britain s unpreparedness while the siib-coniniittce ortlio Cabine ll;,sittilig. ;*'/The Times,"' ii .°"\ e X Dmonist.papers; sees many good points, in the Pisher-regime. V.Tlie naval writer, of .tho. 'Standard,'': oil 1 tho other litrnd, attaut6ma.tiSeß the 1 ishcr. scrapping, policy aria attributes to it tlio loss, otVviuualllo'cruisers. Jlo writes:— "• . - ■ . . ''The : deficiency.'. In tiitarmoured cruisers ot medium tonnago, adequate armament and ■ high' ?j ■ ,? 3 admitted iii.'.words ,bv tlio Admiralty, since , these . vomMs were described in. the Memorandum * of JfOOi as -of 'inferior hghting efficiency, .or even ii source- of weakness and; anxiety to ,tho, Admiral/ and eighty, of tliom, including'smaller, craft,' were struck' off. the;active;list; -But .their doss has sinoe proved •» powerful, ail 'anxiety .to', the ■Admiral,- that 80 per cent. ~hflve; been .restored to tho. acti.vo list, and six wcte laid down"'last year, • and . six uro projected . v this year. 'Bnt' 1 so littlo: money; was " voted . that : tho six ''laid down > last • year- are, very little advanced, and can hardly be completed .for (*0 y «ars. ' '' Tlte .proportion .of medium . cruiww' raquiMd, for : any given "battle 'squadron is-a strategical question—two /to each ! battleship is an-approximation. Apart froiii tho ,battle flwts, . the . .British Empire. - rcquirr-.'? many squadrons of; cruisers ;for. patrol -purposes and for the protection of commerce. Tlio distribution .of these vessels' under the', now. Echome. of-.-reorganisation -.has : not.; been ,announced. When the .scrapping iiolicy 'wos- ; introduced .in .100-i, Sir, John Fisher put. out "the eyrs, of-the Floet. Ho , also . threw: away - material Vto; tile valuo |of several million stsrlhic, all of whioh, itirid lndro,">\vill have to ,bo roplacsd. l "A -. few .salientfacts .'will j. illustrate tlie existing; condition 'of: affairs. ' .Gorinany .'.has to-day Eevon .medium oriiisors on: her i'oroign Stations,' eight with-.hei-.High Sea Fleet,' and 27 in, use in ;her home waters as. tenders' or:.in reserve. :Altogotlier she has.iia round,numbers 40; available medium and small Cruisers lii her | home'., waters.- Great Britain'has SO. in-1301 she had 45." . ■ ::•: -.' • ■■■ '...• , In Defence of Fisher Regime, r Writing in. defence :of Sir - Johni " Fisher, -a correspondent'of The Times",emphasises'the "extraordinary /advances in naval.- gunnery" and " the greater, readiness for war," and says the: sorapping got rid of costly-vossels having a minimum of fighting or. 6ervico valuo.. lie uddsi— ■ . . Intimately related to tho."scrapping" question is that of: the : uuarmoiircd oruiser.This is ono of the thorniest of s ail ': naval questions, and is not to bo settled, by-, tho airy statement of the Critio that tho Admiralty has played " a foolish game," _ and that- the despised protected : type of cruiser. " is coming into favour again." Tho Navy List disproves-that 'wo are "dangerously wcalt iu unarmourcd. cruisers," and--!whatever has been said in any; Admiralty Memorandum concerning the, weakness of vossels of the class is true to-day. Ono is almost .tempted to surmise, that -the ■ Critio . has never , been to 6ea with a; fleet in which only unarmourcd vessels ,-wero available for the .observation of: vessels'''of; equal, or better speed which wero armoured.' Only tho big armoured cruiser, can l observe the movements of .nn enemy's fleet,* if,that floet is accompancd by big .armoured cruisers; only! :vossels of that class' can hang on the heels of : a battle squadron, to delay its; progress by threatening, its rear. And,, to return; to;, thi . unarmoured cruiser, it is untruo to say that it is'coraing lllto favour again,' because It h&s never gone ont of favour for its special and limited function in wai. : But to suppose . that the problem of attaoldng. or. defending .commeroo, will ■ be solved by the multiplication of unarmoured cruisers, is. to. display a ..very . superficial acquaintance irith the conditions of this branch of naval warfare." ' , *