A NAVY OF ALL ARMS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 669, 20 November 1909, Page 5

A NAVY OF ALL ARMS.

y SIR W. WHITE'S VIEW. CHANGED POLICY OF THE ADMIRALTY. .''■ VESSELS' OF .MANY CLASSES. ■''■■; (By ■ Teloernpli-Press Assoolatlpn-Copyrldit.l ■.':■. .;',■ . .;; ■:' London, November 18. Sir William iWhite, naval -architect, speaking at a.meeting;;of the. Society of Arts, said it was satisfactory to note that wiser counsels were again prevailing at the Admiralty, and that the necessity of employing vessels of many classes. ju the Imperial was recognised. "BIG SHIP" AND SCRAPPING POLICY, SUB-COMMITTEE'S FINDING. . The "big ship-' policy of Sir John Fisher has been strongly criticised by". Sir Wm. White. Equally, the "scrapping", of numerous. smaller craft, which Sir John Fisher deemed no'longer efficient,' has been" attacked by' Admiral Lord ;Ctoas. Beresford" and yarioTis writers. It"has been contended that combined policies of, tho "big" ship" .and: the scrap-heap have resulted in- throwing away many still useful vessels, and' in' destroying the ideal' of a' navy of all arms. ! . . t : The following were two points of Admiral Beresfprd's recent charges against the administration of tho Admiralty :— .'■■'. ~ (1) Thoro was a grave weakness' .in . . small craft and in destroyers.- . (2) Owing to the alleged dangeroiie. " '..' . shortage of there _was no ade- ; quate provision for protection of trade. The report of the Siib-Committec of • the Cabinet which 1 investigated."thi eharges was in effect as follows:— •..'■ "■ , ■' ■ . ' . (if Lord Charles's criticisms were' ■ biased upon con'sideratioris . affecting.. i '•'■•■ iiaval construction and stratogy of a..:. ■ '■". controversial character on which expert ."■opinion is sharply divided.. On the - : .•technical issues the Committee express.. ;'■ no opinion'. But tliey are satisfied there is no such deficiency 'as to constitute . •a'.risk to tho. safety of the country.:;; ..•; : . (2)': The tenor-' of secret evidence._ is ~ . 'that there is no sufficient foundation ,■ , . ■'. for' Lord Charles's apprehensions.- / ': ■:■" Sir William White's qualification for expressing an opinion on naval matters is beyond dispute. .Educated in tho Royal School of.Naval ArchiUctsi' of "which he holds'the diploma of Fellow of the first class, he entered in 1867 the Construction Department of the_ Admiralty, in which ho rose to the rank of chief constructor. In 1883 he left the Admiralty and joined Armstrong's firm at Newcastle, as organiser, and director of the warship building department. Two years later he returned to Whitehall as Director of i Naval Construction and Assistant ContreHerofthe Royal Navy, opposition which he held uiitil compelled by ill-health to retire in February, 1902. Burinif that 1 period he was the responsible designer of allthe ships in- theNavy, and on his retirement he was awarded a .special grant of..money by . Parliament in recognition of his eminent services. _He: is a member of most- of .'the leading /European onirineering.and scientific societies, ;Vand nas published several works dealing- with professional subjects,' also, a series of arfai|les on-the. "liig.ship".question. ;.-. -.' .:;. ■ ■ :'• ; ; .:■ ; "

NEW FIRST SEA LORD. SIR AETHUB WILSON. MAY SUCCEED SIR JOHN FISHER. London! November 18. Sevoral newspapers state that Admira.l Sir 'Arthur IC. Wilson, V.0., formerly Commander-in-Chief of the Home and Chanuel Fleets, ivill succeed Sir John Fish.er—now raised to tho peerage-as First Sea Lord of'tho Admiralty. "PUT A WAR EDGE ON THE NAVY." AN APPRECIATION OF SIR A. WILSON. Admiral'of'the Fleet Sir A. K. Wilson, V.C., is 67 years of uge, and in 1807 retired from the host oi Comma,uder-in-Chief of tho Homo and ijhannel Fleets, which it is said-ho handed over to his successor, Admiral Lord Chas. Porcsford, in a high stato cf training. Admiral beresford complains that his command was subsequently starved of ships and men, and therefore ot s,ca training, by tho Admiralty, but that is another story; Great Seaman and Strategist. Writing in connection with the naval manoeuvres of 19()ti', 'during Sir Arthur Wilson s command, tho Lo'nflou "Daily Telegraph . remarked that for 'the' carrying out ol such manoeuvres , "it is essential to havo a vnastar mind, an'officer who is a great strategist and tactician, his record in the past inspiring confidence, to whom can bo entiusted tho duties and responsibilities of an admiralissimo. The Admiralty will set tho scheme," he 'must arrange for its execution. Such an admiral, with scamanliko qualities amounting almost to comus, has been louud in Admiral Sir Arthur K. Wilson, K.C.B-G.C.V.0., V.C., whose wjiolo hfo, with absolute singleness of purpose, has been dovoted 'to "his profession, and who is nover i really at homo except ho bo at sea with a big . fleet, responsive to his slightest order. It is an experience of a lifetime to bo in a ship of a squadron under this officer, thrashing its way down Channel in a<denso fog, with all lights out. This is war training, aud by such exorcises Admiral Wilson has put a fighting edge on that section of the British Navy which has come undor his control. He is a sailor of the old school, who has adapted hjmsolf to the new school. His uaßshipln the Channel Fleet. His Majesty's ship Exmouth, was at the head of all the King's ships in the gunlayers' com. petitions fgv tho year. Hβ MLlved; Afloat,! , y ■ / : ■ •'I « ! A man ; without fear, .with the instinct, of a groat'saa commandciy his: life-tbe Crimea,' ■ohW(ifi«s),vEgypt'(lßß2), Sudan/ : (1884), are its'war-marks—hasi won for him the admiration pf the whole Nayv. and for..nearly five years'after a service, as a LoTd of tho Admiraltyrrho has practicaUy lived withoutintermission,ras Copmandor-in-Chief of the old Channel .-Sleet' of the Hqme 'Fleet, and ; of the new Channel Meet.successively.. This contmubus''employment. Iμ supremo of ithe' chief naval /.forces, is;■> record without parallel in modern times, and the explanation, is :to be fpflnd m the fact that: the Admiralty know Sir Arthur W lls ons value and conseqneritly- keep him always at sea, .q war.edge upon;the Ifavy? ■ . f\' .. - .-■'.

?,^::; foreign navies;, ~'^-: . -": gbemany: increases/ nayy yote.und ,\ T >:' ; ; A REDUCES, ABMY,;;; .'; ! : ;,-; .; -,-: (R<o, NbYeniber 19, 10.25,p.m;) .- ;"' .-' ■':..■'"■.. . .■■'-.-. ■'■..: .London, -Novernber 19. ; The f'Daily- Itaii' , - reports that. Germany's annual. Defence. Estiniatcs propose an increase of ,£1,500,000 for naval purposes, and a deproase of the' same'.amount in the military ■yo.te.-':'.' '/( \'. ■ :: . ; "-- ■'' '■■':'■'■'■ •'• ''■■'• •■■' ficcovdihstp a recjettt Parliamentary paper, the total naval -expenditure jn ■ 1909,10 :in Britain■' and; •..- Germany-.; was: .vflrjtain, JE35,U2,700;' Qeim'n.ny,- , #10,538,188, -Butjn now. conetruction : -the ■ were: ;■: Britain,; j ' . . - -:;.,, : ■'•■' TWO .SHIPS FOR ;UNITED , ' ■■ : - :■;■■■/■■/:..!:'■' '.STATES.'.';,: : ', ■:■■: :';■ !C : ■;!..• (Jko, November U, 10.25 pjn.) .!v-,; ; ;' .•::.::■'. •;..'.;,' " ~-'. New : Yorjc'i Noyember J9. :. The.Seoretafy tp the Navy; Mr.-George -VW L. Meyer, will ask .Congress to 26,000-top-battkships for the year. .: ~.....;v. -~..;. .-PTho United States 26,000-ton.'ship is the Wyominii type, which, it is etated; will Jiave a'" broadside" of twelve 12-inph ' suns, .being, therefore,'much more , powerful than the United States first Dreadnought type (Delaware, 1 20,000. tons, .brpadsjdo;. of: ten ,12-inch guns). '..A- third type, 9t 80,000 tons, 1 carrying twelve Ji-inoh \guns,'is, talked 'abpiit.J ' ■ ...'