A SLOW DOWN

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 21 November 1927, Page 5

A SLOW DOWN

BUILDING OF LARGE CRUISERS BRITISH GOVERNMENT’S DECISION. OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE. (British Official Wireless). (Received 21, 11.30 a.m.) Rugby, Nov. 20. The Government's decision an uounced in the House of Commons by the First Lord of the Admiralty the Hon. W. C. Bridgman, not to proceed with the laying down this year of two of the three cruisers for which provision was made in the Navy Estimates is of great significance. It is the deliberate intention of the Government not to lay down any more 10,000-t.on cruisers so long as world influences are at work in the direction of limitation of naval armaments.

The amount set aside in the NavyEstimates for preliminary work on these vessels was about £lB,OOO during the present year. Ono of the cruisers was to be of tho “A” type, of 10,000-tons with eight-inch guns and the other two were to be of r.he “B” type, of 8000-tons or loss, also with eight-inch guns. By this new decision of Cabinet only one cruiser of tho “ B ” type will be laid down. “A” TYPE TO BE DROPPED. It is understood that the present intention of the Government is that cruisers of 19,000 tons of the “A” type shall bo dropped cut of the programme altogether and that next year tho position with regard to the second “B” cruisers shall be examined in the light of the situtation then existing. Regarding future construction, the newspapers point out that a great deal must, depend on tho attitude of the other powers towards the step which tho British Government has now taken in favour of slowing down the building of large cruisers.