NAVAL ESTIMATES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1699, 15 March 1913, Page 7

NAVAL ESTIMATES.

$ BRITISH PROGRAMME. ( FIVE NEW BATTLESHIPS. INCREASE IN EXPENDITURE. | By 'rcloeraDh—Press Aesooiatlon-CoDrrlcht (Rec. March 14, 11.5 p.m. 1 ) Londoni March 14. Mr. Winston Churchill, First Lord of tho Admiralty, yesterday introduced tho Naval Estimates in the House of Cpmmons. Tho Estimates total .£16,309,300, an increase of £1,234,900 over last year's vote, which was n decrease of £307,100 on tho preceding year. ' It is proposed to spend on new construction £15,958,525, as against £13,971,527 for last year, and £15,063,577 for 1911-12. The new vessels will comprise the following, as compared with last year:— This year. Last year. Battleships 5 4 Light armoured cruisers 8 8 Destroyers 1G 20 A number of submarines will also. bo" built. The memorandum mentions the generosity of the overseas Dominions, and shows that on April 1 there will be under construction 11 battleships, 3 battle-cruisers, 13 light cruisers, 35 destroyers, and 20 submarines. With the completion of the present programme tho relative strength of the British and German navies will bo as under:— , Britain.' Germany. Battleships 39 26 Light cruisers 38 t 20 Destroyers 125 102 It is pointed out that though the Estimates show an apparent increase of about £1,250,000 on tlie previous year, there is actually a decrease in the expenditure, because it includes a re-vote of £1,600,000 unexpended in 1912. COMPROMISE SUGGESTED IN CANADA. (Rec. March 14, 11.5 p.m.) s Ottawa, .March 14In the naval debiito in the House, Mr. M'Lean suggested that both parties should compromiso on the basis of voting £5,000,000 for two Dreadnoughts intended for tho Imperial Navy and .another £2,000,000 for tho construction of a fleet unit to assist the Australian fleet in' tho Pacific. • AUSTRALIA AND THE EMPIRE. (Rec. March 14, 11.5 p.m.) London, March 14. Mr. Holman, Attorney-General of New South Wales, in a speech at the Goldsmith's Hnll, declared that there was no division in Australia over the necessity of standing firmly by the Motherland in a dangerous crisis and letting tho world know the Empiro was united. Australians valued their rights as Britishers too much ever to have a doubt as to their cmii'so of action if British supremacy was endangered. CHURCHILL MEMORANDUM. . London, March 13. The "Daily Chronicle," in dealing with tho Canadian naval debate, says that when a great national question is being keenly argued in a daughter Parliament, it is unfortunate that a British 'Minister should oven appear to brief one party against another. , . •

THE FLEET UNIT SCHEME., London, March 13. The "Daily Telegraph," commenting on the reading of Air. Churchill's memorandum .in the Canadian Parliament, states (hat it was common knowledge that Hie mistaken conception of tho licet unit scheme had not emanated from the sailors of Great Britain, but from the war politicians, who were happy in the thought of reconciling naval strategy with Dominion politics. Sir Joseph Ward probed the hollowness instantly, and rejected it. If Mr. Churchill's memorandum fairly .set out the difficulties of the Canadian shipbuilders, it contained nothing to justify the Liberals' attack.