CANADA AND THE NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1740, 3 May 1913, Page 16

CANADA AND THE NAVY.

IMPORTANT MEMORANDUM.

COST OF BUILDING A FLEET. MR. CHURCHILL'S VIEW. Correspondence whiph iias taken placo between Mr. Churchill, First Lord of tho Admiralty, and Mr. It. L. Borden, I'rimo Minister of Canada, on tho question of tho construction of battleships in tho Dominion,': was issued on March 17 as a Parliamentary Paper. The first letter from Mr. Borden to Mr. Churchill is dated Ottawa, December 18, 1912, and is as follows:—

"It has been suggested to mo that tho construction of largo warships of tho most modern type Ims been attended with great difficulties in its earlier stages, and that tho cost has beeil excessive. If 1 am not trespassing too much on your good nature, 1 would be glad to receive any information along that line, so that it will be available if necessary."

On tho same dato Mr. Borden again wrote to Mr. Churchill:

"Olio of tho officials in tho Canadian Naval Service has made up tho enclosed estimate as to the first cost and the an-

mini cost of maintenance of two fleet units. Although I liossess no special or technical knowledge of such matters I am inclined to think that tho estimate is too low. Perhaps you would bo pood enough to submit it to tho technical officers of your Department, or to persons experienced in naval construction, and let me havo an estimate which might bo used in Parliament if necessary." Tho enclosure referred to in tho foregoing communication is as under: First cost. British. Canadian* Dollars. Dollars. 1 Battle-cruiser 11,750,000 15,650,000 3 Cruisers of Bristol class 3,393,000 1524,000 G Destroyers 3,600,000 4,800,000 3 Submarines 1,350,000 1,8(10,000 Cost of 1 fleet unit... 20,093,000 26,774,000 Cost of 2 fleet units 40,186,000 53,548,000 Annual upkeep (exclusivo of depreciation). British. Canadiant Dollars * Dollars' 1 Battlc-cruisor ... 700,000 980,000 3 Cruisers of Bristol class 700,090 980,000 G Destroyers 45G.000 680,000 3 Submarines '120,000 168,000 Cost of 1 fleet unit... 2,006,000 2,808,000 Cost of 2 fleet units 4,012,000 5,616,000' *Based on lowest tender received by previous Government for construction of cruisers and destroyers. t 40 per cent in excess of British cost. Shipbuilding in Canada Impracticable. On January 23 of the present year Mr. Churchill wrote to Mr. Bordern expressing regret for the delay in sending tho subjoined memorandum. Tho delay, he says, was-unavoidable, and ho expressed tho hopo that iti had caused no inconvenience. ■ "Tho suggestion that the proposed battleships could bo expeditiously built ■ in Canada cannot bo bated on full knowledge of the question. The battleship of to-dajr has gradually been evolved from years of experiments and experience. Sho is a mass of intricate machines, and tlio armour, guns, giui mountings, and machinery all require separate and extensive plant, of a very costly nature, to cope with tlio con-, stant changes in designs and composition. In addition to this, tho actual construction of a' battleship, where high tensile and steel aro largely used, requires tlio employment of special riveters and utcel workers. These men are difficult to obtain in Groat Britain, and it is thought it would be a long time before a. sufficient number of efficient workmen of this Jiaturo could be obtained in Canada. For

tlio manufacture of armour plates largo steel furnaces, heavy rolling mills, joining machines, carburising piunt, etc., oapablo of dealing witli iveiguts of 150 tons at a time, ha/o to bo provided, besides which the special treatment to obtain tho correct quality of plate requires special experts who have been brought up to nothing else. Such men could not bo obtained in Canada. l''or tlio manufacture of guns, plant consisting of heavy lathes, boring and trepanning machines, wire windiug machines, as well as a heavy forging plant, and oil-tempering baths with heavy oranes, all capable of dealing with weignts up to and over 100 tons, are required. The men for this class of work are specially trained, and could not bo obtained in Canada. For tho manufacture of gun mountings, which involves the use of castings of irregular shape from 80 to 100 tons, and which require special armour treatment, a special armour plate plant is required. Tlio hydTaulic and electric machinery for these mountings are all of an intricato and special design, requiring special knowledge, and can only be undertaken by a firm having years ot experience of work of this nature.

Shipyard Difficulties, "Tho manufacture of engines, although requiring special treatment, does not present suen great difficulties as that of armour) guns, and gun mountings. But in starting a new business of tws kind it would l>o difficult at this stage to know what plant machinery to put down, as the possible introduction of internal combustion engines may revolutionise the Wliolo of tho engine construction of warships. Tlio above docs not include specialities, such as bilgs pumps, steering gear, and numbers of other details wnich have to bo subcontracted for all over tho country and only with people on tho Admiralty List. The oxponso of fitting these up, sending them out, and carrying out trials would become vory onerous. Eorjhe building yard itself the installation of heavy cranes and appliances for building a vessel of, say, 1:7,001) tons Is a very heavy item, and the fitting of the blocks and slips to take this woight would require considerable care in selection of site in regard to nature of soil for the blocks and launchr ing facilities, so that the existing shipyards might not be adapted for this purpose. As an example of the cost of a shipyard, it may bo mentioned that Elswicfc, in order to • copo with increased work, havo lately put down a new shipyuid, which is costing approximately three-quarters of a million pounds. This yard has already been two years in preparation, and will not bo ready ior laying down a ship for another sis months.

Foreign Shipbuilding. "With regard to foreign shipbuilding, Austria-Hungary has largely extended her resources by laying down two largo slips at I'mmo. This scheme was projected in IDO9. It is understood that these slips wero put down in 11)11, and tho first battleship commenced in January, 1912. The Austrian. press states that tho contract date for completion is July, 1914, but that it is probable there will bo a delay of some mouths in the realisation of this. In this instance, howover, they have other large yards and aii the necessary plant in tho country. Tho cost of this undertaking is not known. Tho Japanese have taken twenty .wars in working up their warship building, and now tako over threo years to build a battleship, and, although anxious to build all ships in their own country, they still find it necessary to liavo some of them built in' Great Britain. Spain has developed a shipyard in I'errol and at Cartagena. They have only ioimd it possiblo to put "down second-class battleships of about 15,000 tons at Verrol (tho bulk (of tho material coming from Great Britain), and tho yards aro being financed and worked by English firms (Armstrongs, Brown, and Vickcrs). "Taking tile above points into consideration, it is clear that it would bo wholly unwise for Canada to attempt to undertake tho building of battleships at tho present moment. The cost of lnying down tho plant alone would, at a rough estimate, bo approximately .£15,000,000, and it could not be ready for four years. Such an outlay could only be justified on tho 'assumption that Canada is to keep up a continuous naval luiildi'iß profiruinnin to turn o.ut ft succcEalon of ehip after the

fashion of tho latest shipyards in Great Britain and Europo." Cost of a Fleet Unit. On January '21 Mr. Churchill wrote to Mr. liordern ns follows:— 1. I havo now had an examination mado of tho figures which you sent ino in your letter of Decomboi' 18, and I find that they nro not quite in agreement with thoEio which havo )>een worked out here, particularly in regard to tho first cost ol the "Town" class cruisers. 2. 1 cncloso.u li'.blo showing tho cost of a fleet unit such as is proposed, if constructed in this country, (a) on tho types and at tho prices which were current in 1909-10, when the Australian Agreement was made, and (b) at tho present time. Tho considerable increases 6liown arc duo partly to tho rise in prices and partly to tho increased power of tho modern battlecruiser or last battleship. 3. 1 think I may assume that tho arguments used in tho memorandum sent you on tho 23rd inat. will havo convinced you that tho idea of building tho capital ships in Canada is impracticablo and I havo therefore not attempted to obtain an cstiinato on tlicit basis; it would, indeed, bo almost impossiblo to framo mo. But I am safo in saying that tho incrcaso in cost could not bo prudently calculated at less than 25 per cent, or 30 per cent. 4 ' I also send a table showing similarly tho difference in tho cost of maintenance of such a ileet unit betwocn 1809-10 and 1913 at British rates of pay; and, it is to bo presumed that Canadians would not bo attracted to enlist in a Canadian Aavy except by rates of pay effectively competin" with tho general rates of Canadian wages, I havo added a third column showing the increase which would bo involved by granting tho rates of pay now drawn by officers and men serving in tho IlaiiUxuv and tlio ioi>o» which, taken as a whole, nxo about higher than in tho luiporial Navy.

Tho Manning of Units. 5. Apart from the reply to your immediate question, it seems desirable to comment on another po ; nt. Tho Admiralty will, of course, loyally endeavour to facilitate the development of any practicable naval policy which may commend itself to Canada but tho prospect of their Ming able to co-operate to any great extent in manning tho units is now much less than it would have been at tho time of tho Imperial Conferenco ; n 1909. G. It'must be remembered'that the new German Navy Law has a large incrcaso in tho number of ships which his Majesty's Government must ' keep in commission, and all our manning resources are now strained to their utmost limits, more especially as regards Peutenants, specialist oliiccrs (gunnery, torpedo, and navigation), and tho numerous skilled professional ratings which cannot be improvised, or obtained except by years of careful training. 7. In 1909 tho question turned upon tlio provision "by Canada in the ,Pacinc of a lioet corresponding to the Australian ileet unit, involving an initial expenditure estimated at .£3,700,000 and maintenance at an estimated cost of per annum. The Canadian Government did not think this compatible with their arrangements and suggested that they should provide a limited number of cruisers and destroyers, which wore to be stationed in the Pacific and Atlantic. The Admiralty agreed to help the organisation and manning so far as possible. Between that ,timo and 1912 a ! commencement was made with tho establishment of ft Canadian naval force, but in thoso threo years only small progress was made with the training of recruits and cadets, and it would have been impossible for the Canadian Government to man a single cruiser. The provision of two fleet units, consisting of the most modern ships, would divert from their necessary stations a large number of very olficient oiiicers and men, who would have to be lent by tho Admiralty. The case of tho Australian unit stands on a different footing, for its establishment directly Teliove9 the British vessels hitherto maintained on tho Australian station, thus ultimately setting freo a considerablo number of men. Looking to tho far greater manning difficulties which now exist than formerly in 1909, the establishment of two such Canadian units would place a strain upon tho resonrces of the Admiralty which, with all the will in the world, they could not undertake to meet during the next few years. Deterioration of Ships. 8. It must further ho borno in mind that the rapidity with which modern ships deteriorate, unless maintained in tho highest state of efficiency by unremit-t'-ig care and attention, is vcry_ parked. Tlio recent experience of certain South American States in regard to vessols of the highest quality has been most painful, and had led to deplorable waste of money, most of which would probably have been avoided if care had been taken to supply at tho time the ships comnnfisLonlxl adequate i'eiittiing establishments and staffs of skilled and experienced personnel, both afloat and ashore.

FIRST COST. If actually As estiordered in matod in Great January, Britain 1913, for in 1909-10 at vessels prices then of latest current. type. £ £ 1 Battle Cruiser 2,293,660 2,652,100 3 "Town" Cruisers... 1,112,310 1,234,900 6 T.B. Destroyers ... 667,020 843,000 3 Submarines ......... 2(4,8(0 36o,000 Sea stores and fuel... 59,280 64,400 To tai 4,107,151 5,159,400 §• & & fr ff? !| I ! II |! I r J | I « 8" ■ ? • ! K is iwi ,ii jl 8>|;s |> n-\n