P CLASS CRUISERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1364, 15 February 1912, Page 3

P CLASS CRUISERS.

ON THE AUSTRALASIAN STATION

ARE THEY OF MODERN" T\TE

Action has beeu taken by tho Federal Government f.siys the Sydney "Telegraph") to draw the attention of the Dritish Admiralty authorities to the condition of some of the ships of the Australian Squadron.

vessel's are Rationed in A ustnilian waters by the Admiralty, under Ihn agreement concluded in 1903, Australia paying JI'JOO.OOU and New Zealand JJIO.OOO yearly n.s a contribution towards their maintenance.

By the terms of the compact the naval forces on the Australian .station mii.-t cpiiMst ol not less than the under-men-lioneil sea-going ships-of-war, all of which shall bo ivom time to time throughout t.he terms of this agreement of modern type, except such as are used as drill ships.

One armoured cruiser (first-class). two second-cluss cruisers. jour third-class cruisers.' t our sloops, and a Royal Navy reserve, consisting of 25 officers and 700 seamen ami stokers; one drill ship and one cruiser ot these to be in New Zealand waters. -No change in this agreement is to be made without the consent of the Governments of the Commonwealth and New Zealand.

■I he agreement comes to an end nest year, when Australia will make- her last contribution to the Admiralty, and the vessels will be removed from "Australian waters. Two will still have to be kept hi i\ew Zealand waters, under the understanding arrived at with the Imperial L T °i!i ern u leut ' snd the remainder will probably bo removed to the China station, which will then include New Zealand! Bj\l w.U bo taken by the Australian fleet unit, most of the vessels ot which will fce in Australian waters JF.A e ? d of this rear. Although the Untish ships are not to remain much onger as protectors of Australian trade, 1,, i c ?,? sid f, red essential by tho Federal should be of tho "modern type" stipulated tor in the agreement. _In naval ciicle* most of tho warships na*« come m for criticism, but the SJS? of P.class are specially coumn,V H - A . ,lstralia has been made almost the mam centre for these: no fewer than nve-the Powerful, Pioneer, PromcHM r , T^ , am ! till recent y on the station. The last four are still in the squadron-the Powerful which was struck off the effective ii t,lc Admiralty, having been recalled to Great Britain to be made into a training ship. Of the others, the I psasus is generally condemned as unfit •{"•■ active work, and the condition of the Prometneus is best judged bv the her that twice within six weeks'the vessel has broken down . The latest word concerning her was that tho engines had pven out on the way to China, and that sue had taken shelter at Timor; the cniiser Cambrian !>?ing meanwhile di>- !?,,"!!," from Australia to her assistance. Ihe Cambrian is recognised as a good sea boat, but her heavier armament has bppii severely criticifod. The many misfortuues attending the trials of the Encounter, and the wpert condemnation of her build did not prevent the admiralty from sending her to Australia. Another sign of the attitude ot Iho Admiralty, governed as it is by the British policy of concentrating the naval strength in the English Channel, is in. the_ fact_ that the Powerful, a protec , ,- er cruiser, instead of an armoured cruiser, was sent out n.s thp Australian flagship. This was against the agreement, but the Federal Government of 1900 I agreed to overlook the fact. The new < flagship, the Drake, is much more formidable, being a 14.000-ton armoured cruiser, carrying two 9.2 inch and 16.6 in. guns, and costing .£1,0110,000. Asked'whether the ])efcnc« Department intended to take action in view of the severe criticism to which the P class cruisers had lately been subjected, the Commonwealth Minister for Defence said that certain reports had reached him officially, and he had forwarded, them to the Prime Minister, with''a request that the matter bv brought under the notice of the Admiralty. One report was from a Commonwealth officer, but he thought it would be unwise to say what ships it dealt with, or to discuss the position further at the present stage. The Federal Government has no power under the agreement to have the British vessels inspected, hence it has no means of discovering whether they are up tn the requirements of the agreement. The reports on which the Government has acted were secured officially.