NEW DREADNOUGHTS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 792, 15 April 1910, Page 5

NEW DREADNOUGHTS

GERMANY'S PROGRAMME NOW IN HAND, DREADNOUGHTS 13, INVINCIBLES 4. By, Telosraph-Preaa Aesoclation-OopyrlirbC (Rec. April 14, 11.5 p,m.) Berlin, April U. ' Krupp's Germania Yard, Kiel, has contracted to build the third battleship of Germany's 1910 programme. • . Londop, April li The Berlin correspondent of "The Times'"says.that the new Gorman battleship to bo built at the Germania Yard represents the beginning of a batch of four Dreadnoughts without awaiting possible improvements in type; hence, arrangements are possible at any time for three of the same type to be hereafter ombodied in the Estimates for the finanical year. ' " . Germany now has 13 Dreadnoughts and four Invincibles built or building. FOUR AUSTRIAN "DREADNOUGHTS. ' : PARLIAMENT ANTICIPATED. (Rec. April Is, 0.5 a.m.) Vienna, April l<. Four Austrian Dreadnoughts will be completed by 1913. The preliminary work was arranged before tho' credits were granted by Parliament. ..; THE GIFT BATTLESHIPS. AUSTRALIAN FLAG FOR ITS OWN V ■■•■; UNIT. (Rec; April 15, 0.5 a.m.) London, April 14.

Replying in the House of Commons to a question by Mr. A-.' H. Burgoyne (Unionist member for North Kensington), the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr, M'Kenna, stated that the'date of laying tj)B and New Zealand battleships would be settled by the contractors when the placing of the orders was confirmed. . / . -, .

The First Lord added, in reply, to a further question, that ships forming part of the; Royal Navy would. fly the Union Jqcic, and,those forming part of the Australian unit would fly such flag as, th,e Australian Government might deterjnjne. ■ ' THE THUNDERER. ' , London, April 13. |Tho keel of tho Dreadnought-battle-ship Thunderer (whjch, according to the "Daily Mail," is to have a tonnage of 22,500, a speed of 21 knots, and a main armament of ten 12-inch guns) has been laid at the Thames Ironworks Company's yard. Poplar. ' . . ' Day and night shifts have been arranged for pushing on the construction of the vessel, which is one of the four "extra" Dreadnoughts. ,

THAMES IRONWORKS COMPANY, _ For the.last twelve years' the Thames Ironworks Cqmpany have obtained nu orders for large warships. The last vessel _of any size for the Britjsh' Navy opilt on the. Thames was the Albion, a battleship laid down in 189 C and launched in 1898. The Japanesebattleship ShikisliunaiYas. laid down at the Thames Ironworks'in 1j897,. and completed jn 3900. The yard; however, has a great history, and fcy it the first British Bea-going ironclad, the Warrior, was completed in. 1861. ,In addition to securing the Thunderer, the Tqames Ironworks Company has secured from the Admiralty two cruisers of/the "Town" class, cligplacirif? 48Q0 tons each, with engines of 22,000 h.p. They will'carry j;w? 6-inch and ten 4-inoh .guns, andtheir cost will be about t£3sp,pOO apiece.' '■' Five similar ' vessels ■ were laid down last year, and two'more, in additipn to the above, are' to be 'ordered this' year. The construction of' .the J' two iiew pruisers; it has 'been estimated, will mean an expenditure in ' Poplar of at least .£200,000, and perhaps mprc, in wages, epreadovera term of two years'. Fourfifths of tho'cost, of a modern warship goes in wqges, biit in "this case inany of the materials used in the ne\y cruisers will have to from other districts of England; ■" ' ■'■"