NAVY ESTIMATES

Hokitika Guardian, 15 March 1921, Page 2

NAVY ESTIMATES

UV TEI.KUIIAI’H —I’ll ESS ASSN., COI’YB’GHI. 4TJSTKALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. (Received Tins Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, March 14 t The Navy Estimates confirm the decision to adhere to capital ships and the one power standard, laying down two now and two later, after consultation with the Dominions. NAVAL ESTIMATES(Received This Day at 10.35 a.m.) LONDON, March 15. The First Lord of the Admiralty in an explanatory note on the Navy Estimates, states the amount is £19,186,000 (?) gross and £82,479,000 nett, representing a reduction of over fourteen millions on gross and over eight- and a quarter millions on the nett estimates. Taking into account the increase in wages and in pensions, there is a comparative decrease of over nine- -= teen millions, as compared with 1914-15 figures. It is intended to carry out the Government’s policy of one power standard as economically as possible, giving full weight to the special geographical international considerations which hav e arisen since the war, but the Admiralty has effected drastic economies, difficult to reconcile, with a full maintenance of the Government’s declared policy. LONDON, Match 14. I t is proposed to make gradual progress in the direction of Dominion navies, by the appointment of Dominion officers to ihe staff at the Admiralty, and by arranging for a proportion of—i Dominion officers to takg courses at the Staff college. The Admiralty regrets the suspension of the airship service, but in view of the stringent financial conditions no other decision was possible. PROPOSALS OUTLINED. (Received this day- at 11.25 a.m.) LONDON, March 14.' The First Lords note to the Estimates states the economies include a reduction of capital ships from twenty to sixteen, compared with twenty-eight in 1914. The Admiralty has placed four destroyer flotillas in reserve and reduced the North American and South African squadrons by a light cruiser each. There has been a complete temporary withdrawal of Die South American squadron. The personnel has been reduced to 121,700 officers and men compared with 151,00# in 1915. The Hercules, Colossas, Neptune, St Vincent, Collingwood, Temeraire, Rellerophon and Superb have been placed on the disposal list. The need for a gradual replacement of absolescents by modern ships, embodying the lessons of the war, cannot longer be disregarded. Two and a half millions are therefore included in the Estimates as the first instalment towards the replacement, but Government does not commit itself, nor contemplate a building programme in answer to any other power. In deed, it trusts that as a result of a frank, friendly discussion with the powerful naval powers that anything approaching competitive building may he avoided. The Imperial Conference in June will afford a welcome opportunity of discussing fully with the Dominions the problem of the naval policy, with relation to the Empire of -mutual co-opera-tion. The lines on which it will **“ proposed to proceed are towards the development of Dominion navies responsible to their own Governments, working in close co-operation and under the. guidance of a common doctrine.