BIGGER WARSHIPS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 15, 11 October 1937, Page 3

BIGGER WARSHIPS

Our Own Correspondent.)

British AdmiraVs . Advocacy n ____ REPLY TO JAPAN

(From

LONDON, Sept. 16. Admiral Sir Herbert Kiehmoud 'e wanrnig that Britam may soon have to buiid bigger battleships is featured here. • The admiral, tvlio is now the master of Downing College, Cambridge, lias long beeu an ardent advoeate of smaller warships. His warning at tho liberal summer school at Cambridge that, owing to Japan's decision not to nccept any limitations on the size of warships, the Powers with big navies would be obliged to follow snit is therefore regarded* as all the more impressive. The admiral said that he wa s not surprised at the United States having decidcd to return to iarger1 calibre guns. What he is surprised at, he added, "is to see a nation with the military ability and the knowledge of the Japanese attempting to obtain equality in this manner. It has failed often be^0." o Hritain, Sir Herbert went on, will find herself "obliged to do something 10 prevent herself losing that command of the sea which is essential to her." He therefore expects the Government to lay down bigger and more expensive battleehips. AdmJial Richmond declared that although he is not in a position to ssy whether aerial defences have reached a state of efficiency which would make it possible for a fleet to lie in a base which was in range of aerial attack, he fejt sure that any power attacking Britain on "the slender assumption,, that the fieets eould be disabled in harbour by aerial bambardment "would run a severe risk of disappointment."