EMPIRE DEFENCE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1625, 17 December 1912, Page 4

EMPIRE DEFENCE.

NAVAL DEVELOPMENT. HEPORT OF THE BRITISH ADMIRALTY. TO THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT. LESSONS FROM GERMANY. A copy of the statement prepared by the Admiralty, at the request of the Canadian Government, regarding the present and immediately prospective requirements of tho naval defence of the Empire, was laid on tho table of the Commonwealth Houso of Representatives last week. "The Admiralty," the document reads, "set tho.greatest store by tho important material, and still more important moral, assistance which it is within tho power of Canada to givo towards maintaining British naval supremacy on the high seas, but they thing it necessary to disclaim any intention, however indirect, of putting pressure upon Canadian public opinion or of seeking to influence tho Dominion Parliament in a decision which clearly belongs solely to Canada. Tho Admiralty, therefore, confine themselves in this statement exclusively to facts, and it is for the Dominion Government and Parliament to draw their own conclusions therefrom. "Tho power of the British Empire to maintain the superiority on the sea, which is essential to its security, must obviously be increased from time to time by reference to the other naval forces of the world, and such a comparison does not imply any unfriendliness, in intention or in spirit to any Power or group of Powers. German Naval Development. "From this point of view, tho development of tho German fleet during the last fifteen years is the most striking feature of the naval situation to-day. That development has been authorised by five successive legislative enactments, viz., tho fleet laws of 1898, 1900, 190S, 1908, and 1912. These laws cover the period up to 1920. Whereas in 1898 the German fleet consisted of nine battleships, excluding coast defence' vessels, 3 large cruisers, 28 small cruisers, 113 torpedo-boats, and 25,000 men, maintained at an annual cost of six millions, the full fleet of 1920 will consist of 11 battleships, 20 largo cruisers, 40 small cruisers, 144 torpedo-boats, 72 submarines and 101,500 men, estimated to be maintained at an annual cost of w523,000,000. "These figures, however, give no real idea of the advance, for the.cost of ships has risen continually during the period, and, apart from increasing the total numbers; Germany has systematically replaced tho old and small ships, which counted as units in her earlier fleet, by the most powerful and costly modern vessels. Neither does the money provided for by the Estimates represent tho increase in cost properly attributable to the German navy, for many charges borne by British naval funds are otherwise defrayed in Germany, and the German navy comprises such a large proportion of new ships that tho cost of maintenance and repair is considerably less than in navies which have been longer established.

"Unprovoked" Expansion. "The naval expansion of ;Gerninnr has not been provoked by. British, naval increases. The German Government lias repeatedly' declared that its naval policy has not been influenced by British action, and the following figures speak for themselves:—ln 1905, Great Britain was building four capital ships and Germany two;'in 190G, Great Britain reduced to three capital ships and Germany increased to three; in IDD7 Great Britain built three capital ships and Germany built three; in 1908 Great Britain further reduced to two. capital ships, and Germany further increased to four. ... "-It was not until the efforts of Great Britain to procure the abatement or retardation of naval rivalry had failed for three successive years that; the Admiralty were forced, in 1909, upon, a general review of the naval situation,, to ask Parliament to take'exceptional' measures to secure against'all:-possible Hazards tho safety of the Empire.. :■• In that year eight capital ships were laid down in Great Britain, and two ■' others were provided by tho Commonwealth of Australia and'the Dominion of New Zealand, respectively, a total of ten. "In the spring of the present year the fifth German- Navy Law was assented to by tho Reichstag. The,main feature of that law is not tho increaso in the new construction of capital ships, but rather the increase in the striking force of the ships of all classes. A third squadron of eight battleships will be created and maintained in full commission as part of the active fleet. ■

Readiness In German Waters, "Whereas, according to the unamended law, the active battle fleet consisted of 17 battleships, four large armoured cruisers, and twelve small cruisers, it will in the near future consist of fifteen battleships, eight battle or large armoured cruisers, and eighteen small cruisers, and whereas at present, owing to the system of recruitment which prevails in Germany, the German fleet is less fully manned during the winter than during the summer months, it will, through the operation of this law, not only be increased in strength, but rendered more readily available. Ninety-nine torpedo boat destroyers,, instead of GO, will be maintained in full commission, out of a total of 144. Seventy-two new submarines will be built within the currency of the new law, and of these it is apparently proposed to maintain 54, with full permanent crews. Taking a general view, the effect will be that nearly four-fifths of the entire German Navy will bo maintained in full permanent commission and constantly ready for war. . "So great a change in the development of the German fleet involves important additions to its' personnel. In 1898 the officers and men of the German Navy numbered 25,000; to-day that figure has reached 60,000. The new law adds 15,000 officers and men, and'makes a total in 1920 of 101,500. The new construction under the law prescribes the building of three additional battleships, one to be begun next year, one in 1916, and two small cruisers, the date of whose. construction has not yet been fixed. The date for the building of the third battleship has not yet been fixed. The cost of these increases in men and in material during the next six yeara is estimated at 210,500,000, spread over that period, above the previous estimate.

"The facts set forth above were laid before the House of Commons on July 22, 1912, by the First Lord of the Admiralty. "The effect of the new German Navy law is to produce a remarkable expansion of strength and' readiness. The number of battleships and large armoured cruisers which will be kept constantly ready and in full commission, will be raised by the law from 21, the present figure, to 33, an addition of 12, or an increase of about 57 per cent. The new fleet will, in the beginning, include about 20 battleships and largo cruisers of the older type, but gradually, as new vessels are built, the fighting power of the fleet will rise until, in the end, it will consist completely of modern vessels. Tactical Objects of the German Fleet. "The complete organisation of tho German Root, as desoribed by the latest law. will be five battle squadrons, and a fleet flagship, comprised 41 battleships in all, each attended by a battle or armoured cruiser squadron, complete with small cruisers and auxiliaries of all kinds, and accompanied by numerous flotillas of destroyers and submarines. The full development will be realised only step by step, but, in 1014,' two squadrons will, according to the Admiralty information, bo entirely composed of what are called Dreadnoughts, and the third will bo made up of good ships like tho Deutschlands and the Braunschweigs, together with five Dreadnought battle-cruisers. This great fleet is not dispersed all over tho world for tho duty of commerce protection or m the discharge of colonial responsibilities, nor are its composition and character adapted to these purposes. It is concentrated and kept concentrated in close proximity to the German oud British coasts. Attention must ho drawn to the tactical objects for which tho German fleet exists, as set forth in the preamble to the naval law of 1900 as follows:— "In order to. protect German trade and commerce under existing conditions, only one thing will suffice. Germany must possess a battle fleet of such a strength that, even for the most powerful naval adversary, a war would involve such risks as to "»ok» that Power'o own mtpMtuaw doubt«*L SVw-tMs pwDcsa it ia not absolute!; J

necessary that the Gorman fleet should bo as strong as that of the greatest naval Power, for, as ft rule, a great naval Power will not bo in a position to concentrate all its forces against us.

Looking Three Years Ahead. ■"It is now necessary to look forward to tho situation in 1915. In the spring of the year 1915 Great Britain will have 25 Dreadnought battleships, and two Lord Nelsons. Germany will have 17 Dreadnought battleships. Great Britain will havo six battle cruisers, Germany will havo six buttle cruisers. These margins in new ships are sober and moderate; they do not err on tho side of excess. The reason they suffice for tho present is that Groat brit-dn possesses a good superiority in battleships, and especially. in armoured cruisers of the pre-Dreadnought era. The reserve of strength will steadily diminish every year, actually because the ships of which t 8 composed grow old, and relatively because tho new ships are more poweriul. It will diminish more rapidly as new construction in Germany is increased or accelerated. As this pro. gress continues,- greater exertions will be required by the British Empire. Font battle cruisers and foul armoured cruisers will be required to support British interests in tho Mediterranean during the years 1913 and 1914. During these years the navies of Austria'and Italy will gradually increase in strength until in 1915 they will each posses a formidable fleet of four and six Dreadnought battleships respectively, together with strong battleships of tho Dreadnought type and other units such as cruisers and torpedo craft. It is evident, therefore, that in the year 1915 our squadron of four battle cruisers and four armoured cruisers will not suffice to fulfil our requirements, and its whole composition must bo reconsidered. Interest of Oversea Dominions. It has been necessary, within the past decade, to concontrato the fleet mainly in Homo waters. In 1902 there were IGO British vessels on the oversea stations, against 7G to-day. Naval supremacy is of' two kinds, benoral and local. General naval supremacy consists in the power to defeat in battle and drive ■ from the seas the stronyest hostile navy or combination of hostile navies, "wherever they may be found. Local superiority consists in tho power to send, in good time, to, or maintain permanently in, some distant theatre, forces adequate to defeat the enemy or hold him in chack until the main decision has been obtained in the decisive theatre. It is the general naval supremao yof Great, Britain which is the primary safeguard of the security and interest of the great Dominions of the Crown, and w-hich, for all these years, has been the deterrent upon any possible designs prejudicial to their policy and safety. Canadian Responsibilities. "Tho rapid: expansion of Canadian seaborne trade, and the immense value of Canadian cargoes always afloat in British and Canadian bottoms, require consideration on the basis of the figures supplied by the Board of Trado to tho Imperial Conference of 1911.' The annual value of the overseas trade of (ho Dominion of Canada in 1909-10 was no less than 72 millions, and tho tonnage of Canadian ' vessels was 718;000 tons. And these proportions havo already increased, and are still increasing. For iho whole of this trade, whether it may be about the distant waters of the world, as well as for the maintenance of her communications, both with Europe and Asia, Canada is dependent, and has always depended, upon the Imperial Navy without a corresponding contribution of the cost. ... Further, at the present- time and in the immediate future, Great Britain still has tho power, by making special arrangements and mobilising a portion of the reserve, to send, without courting disaster at Home, an effective fleet of battleships and cruisers to unite with the Royal Australian Navy and the British squadrons in China and the Pacific, for tho defence of British Columbia, Australia, and New Zealand; and these communities are also protected and their . interests safeguarded by tho power and authority of Great Britain, so long as her naval strength is unbroken. This power, both specific and general, will be diminished, notionly by tho growth of tho German navy, but by the simuleaneous building by many PoweTS of great modern ships of war. Whereas in the present year, Great Britain possesses 18 battleships and battlo' cruisers of the Dreadnought class against 19 of. that class possessed by tho other Powers of Europe and will possess in 1913 21 to 21, the figures in WW will bo 31 to 33, and in the year 1915 85 to 51. "Tho existence of a number of navies, nil comprising snips of high quality, must be considered, in bo far as it affects the possibilities of adverse combinations being suddenly formed. Larger ninrgins of superiority at Homo would, among other things, restore a greater freedom to the movements of the British squadron in every sea, and directly promote the security of the Dominions. '"Whatever may ha tho decision of Canada at the present juncture, Great Britain will not, in any circumstances, fail in her duty to-the oversea Dominions of tho Crown. She has before now successfully stood unaided against the most formidable combinations; and 6ho has not lost her capacity, following a wise polioy and making strenuous exertion to watch over and preserve the vital interests of the Empire. Tho Admiralty are assured that his Majesty's Government will not hesitate to ask the House of Commons for whatever provision the circumstances of each year may require, but the aid which* Canada could give at the present time is not to bo measured only in ships or money. Any action on the part of Canada to increase the power and mobility of the Imperial Navy, and thus widen tho margin of our common safety, would be recognised everywhere as a most significant witness to the united strength of tho Empire, aud to the renewed' resolve of the oversea Dominions to take their part, in maintaining its integrity."