AUSTRALIA'S NAVY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 16, 14 October 1919, Page 5

AUSTRALIA'S NAVY

FREE OFFER BY THE BRITISH ADMIRALTY ONE WAY OF EFFECTING ECONOMIES (By Telegrajh-Press Assoclation-OopyriEht London, October 11. The Commonwealth can have almost a free hand in picking vessels from tho British Navy for carrying out Admiral .Tellieoe'a recommendations. The Admiralty's policy, supported by the Colon ial Office, is to reduce the Fleet by tho presentation of ships of tho most modern classes for the Dominion navies. The Premier was recently consulted, and agreed to the policy. Indeed, ho is now mm of its strongest advocates. A' high authority in tho Admiralty stated that _ the Admiralty hopes that Australia will accept the ships, including Dreadnoughts, instead of building new ones. He said that Lord Jellicoe's report would doubtless be found more easily' read and accepted if tho public remembered that Britain possested a great margin of modern warships, and was eager to present some to Australia. It became, therefore, more a question of the maintenance of tho.ships than the cost of construction. Asked whether the distribution of the ships was duo to disarmament under the League of Nations, this authority replied: "Our immediate concern is retrenchment. They are after us, not with tho pruning-knife, but with the axe." There is a general hope in the- Admiralty that the Commonwealth will give a lead to the Dominions bv shortly accepting warships. Lord Jellicoe's full report is eagerly awaited, and will bo most carefully studied by. the new Board of the Admiralty, on to which Admiral Beatty. the new First Sea. Lord, is bringing several younger men belonging to his. school in the Grand Fleet. These changes are not likely to affect the Admiralty's policy in the Pacific, unless Lord jellicoe demands a considerable readjustment, when the matter might enter upon an important struggle between the Jellicoe and Beatty schools.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.