SEA SUPREMACY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1739, 2 May 1913, Page 5

SEA SUPREMACY.

EXPANSION OF THE NAYIES,

IN MEDITERRANEAN. By Telegraph—Preoa Association—Copyright London, April ;jfl. The "Daily Tolcyr.ii'li" pcinls <mi|: i ,\ijs)ri.i-Uuii?;i :y ink-nils laying down in flic »c;ii': future three I)iimil lionphts nil'l Daly two, :.>llll lliiil. Ihe • 'abinct in Kruno litis sanctioned tin' preparation «i phi us lor three more. .Frailer, during 191,'1, will begin live Dreadnoughts. Germany's squadron iii Ilir Mediterranean now consists of iluv C!aehen (22.000 tons), Bresbui (1500 Ions), <icier (1597 tons), llertie (&SG(I tons), nnil Vim-la (5791 tons). To tliesc arc to Ire added shortly the cruisers Dresden (3514 tons) and llio Strassburg (1500 tons). BRITISH SUPERIORITY. An important Parliamentary paper showing the present strength of tlie? chicf navies of the world was issued on March -0 by the Admiralty. The fleets dealt with are those of Groat Britain, Franco, Russia, Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary. Iho United States, and Japan, and fho figures show the comparative htronglli on January 1 last, battleships and armoured cruisers over 20 years old being omitted from the return. The navies of the four chief sea Powers —Great Britain, France, Germany, and the. United States—may bo thus summarised: BUILT. Gt. Britain France Germany U.S. Battleships ... 55 -I 3'! 33 Battle-ci'iiisers 7 — 3 — A rmourcd cruisers ... 31 .20 0 H Ist class pro- . tected '17 5 — S 2n<l class „ 40 4 .10 15 3rd cla-ss ~ 10 5 11 . — Torpedo vessels- 2S 4 — Destroyers ... 191 73 125 40 , Torpedo boats 109 188 80 22 Submarines ... fit 01 If BUILDING. Gt. Britain Franco Germany U.S. Battleships ... 1 7 7 4 Battle-cruisers 3 — — Light armoured cruisers ... S — — — 2nd class protected cruisers 7 — 4 — Unprotected ... " — — ~~ Torpedo vessel I — — fit's!rovers ... 38 It 9 14 Submarines ... 22 8 It l'~ It will thus be seen th?t Great Britain possesses an overwhelming superiority in all tho luoro important fighting, sliips.