LORD BERESFORD'S BOOK.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1280, 8 November 1911, Page 7

LORD BERESFORD'S BOOK.

r—9 ISSUES WITHDRAWN. By TeleeraDh—Press Association—Copyrlelit London, November G. Much comment has been caused by Admiral Lord Charles Beresford's withdrawal of his naval book, entitled ".Betrayal," after review copies had been issued. "SIXTY MORE CRUISERS." On tho Navy Vote debate Lord Beresford described the debate on the voto as an "annual farce," in which members pretended to control naval expenditure, whereas they never really considered naval policy as a whole, but merely discussed ono voto ono day and another vote another day. The country imagined that this voto had been considered by the Board of Admiralty. What was tho Board? Was it Jlr. M'Kenna and tho distinguished agriculturist beside, him (Mr. Lambert) ?—(Laughter.) All the members of the Board signed the voto; but did that" necessarily imply that they approved it? He thought we were dangerously short of cruisers. To nwko tho battle fleet effective there should be five cruisers to every two battleships. In addition, there should bo enough cruisers to protect the trade routes—a necessity which the Declaration of London, by permitting the activity of armed merchantmen, had rendered more imperative than ever if wo were to escape the risk of starvation. Tho very least wo could do was to lay (low# sixty more cruisers. He wished to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether in his opinion wo had an adequate supply of cruisers, and whether the Declaration of London did not add to our responsibilities in defending tho trade routes.