NEW NAVAL POLICY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1535, 3 September 1912, Page 6

NEW NAVAL POLICY.

MR. CHURCHILL AND THE GERMAN MENACE,

21 DREADNOUdHTS.IN NEXT FIVE YEARS.

I'HB DOMINIONS' UET.P IN EMPIKE

Mr.'Churchill, in the -House of Commons on Monday, June 22, explained the Supplementary Navy Estimates, and set.forth British naval policy. His speech fell into three distinct Mictions, dealing with: 1. The new German 'Navy Act aud. the [treasures that are to bo taken to meet it in the- JJorth SJ£a. 2. The Mediterranean. , ~ , c 3. General naval policy and the help ot . the Dominions. The German Fleet. The Supplementary Estimates, Mr. Churchill pointed out, were necessitated fcy the n«w German Act. The effect ot that Act was to increase the striking force which Germany will hove, immediatelyavailable nt all seasons of the year and to man fully four-fifths of fhe German Meet. It provides for:' An addition of 3 battleships, 2 small cruisers, and 72 submarines to the German programme laid down in 1908. An increase in- the German personnel from 68,000 in 3912 to 101,500 in 1920. . An additional expenditure of 101 millions in the next six ywrs. . _ > An increase in the fully-manned German Fleet- in the -North Sea to the following strength in 1920 : — Battleships 25 plus i fully manned Armoured cruisers 12 [in reserve. Small cruisers........ 20 Destroyers 9!) ' Submarines '. 51 In addition, there will be two squadrons, each of 8 battleships, in reserve. British Countsr-fijeasures. To meet; the new German Act, the fol-lowing-measures are to be taken: — - 4:990,000 additional is to be added to the Navy Estimates, involving an additional outlay of 2 millions next year. Four 'additional Dreadnoughts will be laid down in the next six years. Tiro thousand men will be added, making 5000 in all with the additional men voted in the ordinary Estimates. The construction of 8 armoured cruisers will be accelerated. An additional expenditure iof J!160,000 will be incurred lor submarines and ,£60,000 for aircraft. The British Fleet will be thus organised : Fully wanned: 25 battleships in. Home waters. / ' ■ : Fully manned: 8 battleships at Gibraltar. Manned with half crews: 8 battleships, to be raised to 1C hereafter. •'; In reserve: 1.6' battleships. . , • Provided the '8 battleships stationed at Gibraltar are available, this will give 33 British battle'sn'ips ' always' fully manned against the German 29; and Mr. Churchill, announced that the Admiralty, taking into account-'the. quality of the British ships and squadrons, are satisfied with sucjj a margin , . '■ • .

The Mediterranean. "With reference to the Mediterranean, the proposals of the Admiralty are:. To station 4 battle-cruisers of the Invincible class at .Malta. These ships will be taken from the North .Sea. To strengthen the squadron of 4 armoured cruisers now based on Malta by replacing its old ships with-newer units. t'fo'add'to the destroyer and submarine. , flotillas -at Malta... ■ • '■ ■'.'•. • •• To-e-fablish a torpedo station at Alexandria.. . ' . - ;■.;: •■■ ■•• , ■.-"'* To place at Gibraltar a er/uadron of 8 I,'a'ttleships, 2 of which will 1)0 of very powerful type. . No effort is. to be made to maintain a British force equal, or superior to the combined navies rf Italy and Austria. The Aid of the Dominions. "With reference to general naval policy, Mr. Chifrchm made these announcements: Canada is prepared to co-operate in the defence of the Empire. .-- ■ # Mr. Borden's colleagues share his views, and any action thev may take will not be delayed till the final arrangements as to the participation of the Dominion in the control of Imperial policy can be made. . . . New Zealand, with splendid patriotism, has placed her Dreadnought at the disposal of the Admiralty. '- Australia, by organising and maintaining a fleet.unit, is liberating British, ships for work elsewhere. . An increase will be made in the pay of seamen and stokers, the conditions of which will be made known in the autumn. .