Britain’s Navy

Manawatu Herald, 14 March 1903, Page 2

Britain’s Navy

The Navy Estimates provide for the expenditure of £34,457,000

New construction will absorb £10,137,000, the building programme consisting of three battleships, four first-class armoured cruisers, four scouts fifteen torpedoboat destroyers, and ten submarines. The new vessels will mostly be built by contract. It is proposed to increase the personnel of the navy by four thousand six hundred men There are now under construction eleven battleships and nineteen armoured cruisers will be completed by March next.

It is intended to train all seamen in mechanical knowledge and stoking and to give medals and bonuses for gunnery; also to strengthen the Naval Intelligence Department. The proceedings at the late Colonial Conference in London embody the Admiralty proposals as regards Australia, besides the new Home squadrons. It is intended to establish a South •tlantic squadron, with bases at Gibraltar and Sierra Leone covering the west coast of Africa and the south-east coast of America

“ The Times,” says the Government’s naval proposals are wise, courageous and satisfactory. It is expected that the growth of the Naval Estimates will strengthen the movement £>r the reduction of the armv» The Hon. I. 0. Guest, Conservative member for Plymouth, will move for a reduction by 27,000 man, approximately the total augmentation of infantry during the last five years. A number of Unionist members will support the motion, on the ground that quality is better th&n quantity.