OIL FOR THE NAVY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 586, 19 July 1913, Page 5

OIL FOR THE NAVY.

100 OIL BURNING DESTROYERS. THE ADMIRALTY PROGRAMME. By Telegraph..—Press Association.—Copyngat London. Thursday. Mr Churchill, in the House of Commons, said that there were now built and building a hundred oil fuel destroyers, and five battleships on the stocks would use oil as an auxiliary. Coal would continue the main basis in the battle-line for the present. The use of oil increased a ship's active radius by 40 per cent, and permitted the designing of vessels of equal fighting power but of lesser dimensions, at smaller cost. The Admiralty intended to become independent owner or controller of its own oil supply. He was making a contract with the Mexican Eagle Company, in which his naval colleagues were not interested, and in which no funds of the Liberal party were invested. He knew nothing to make it necessary to add to the construction programme, and did not think, anything was likely to occur in the autumn in the Mediterranean to necessitate an advance in construction. v London, Friday. Mr Churchill added that fast light cruisers were essentially part of our tactical cjnstruction and could not be satisfactorily constructed on a coal burning basis inasmuch as they would have to be greatly increased in length enlargement or lose three to four knots in speed. Referring to the oil question, what was wanted was a steady supply at a steady price. Dealing with the Canadian battleship, he said unless the gap was filled the Empire would be short of three ships from the end of 1915 onwards. We might lay down three extra ships, but this step ought not to be taken till it was deemed necessary. The Admiralty meanwhile had decided to accelerate the building of the three ships on the 1913 programme. The Canadian situation will have defined itself by 1914, and the Admiralty will be better able to judge whether a further acceleration or direct addition to the programme is necessary. Mr Churchill admitted, in reply to Mr Lee that there had been considerable discussion with Austria and Italy regarding the new programmes, but there had been no change justifying i fresh measures on our part. Mr Lee argued that to carry out the Government's pledges, given in March, six more ship 3 should be ready in 1916. The majority of speakers approved of the Admiralty's policy regading oil supplies.