THE BRITISH NAVY

Otago Witness, Issue 2813, 12 February 1908, Page 27

THE BRITISH NAVY

FURTHER RETRENCHMENT ADVOCATED. LONDON, February 5. Lord Brassey, speaking at Cambridge, said that Great Britain was falling below the two-Power standard, but he hoped that in time the rivalry between Great Britain and Germany would be relaxed. If not, it would be Parliament's duty to maintain their supremacy, at any cost. Battles were now won by men, not by ships. February 6. Mr Asquith objected to Lord Tweedmouth's Naval Estimates as too high, and they were returned to the Admiralty for revision. The Cabinet appointed a committee to consider further retrenchments, especially in the navy. 1 One hundred and thirty Liberals ar« pledged to a reduction of armaments, and 1 are now pressing the Government to reduce the Estimates. Though they hay« not yet tabled notice of debate, they intended to do so yesterday, but postponed doing co, as it was obviously inconvenient to the Government. February 7. The Admiralty's report shows a remarlcable increase in the accuracy of the gun firing. February 8. The Times states that it is rumouredi that although it was asked at the last ( moment to materially reduce its estimate* the Admiralty stood firm by what it rej gards as the minimum, compatible with national safety. GERMAN RIVALRY. The following particulars will show th» ' enormous increase in the German navy, planned by the German Admiralty. Th« following table shows the advance in the German Estimates in the last few years and "in the future, under this scheme: —

1 Germany proposes to spend £208,600,000 upon naval expansion during the 10 year* between 1908 and 1917. or an annual average of over £20,000,000. This revelation— the latent fragment of piecemeal informa- . tion which the Government had Riven out was contained in November's official North VGerman Gazette, in a "Memorandum to the 1908 Naval Budget.'* The total represents an increase of £49^350,000 over and above what was calculated a year ago ac necessary for the. execution of the Naval Bill of 1900 and it* supplement of 1906. Beginninc with 1908, ' when £17.000,000 will be spent, naval disbursements will rise gradually until, in 1911, they reach £23,000.000. Thenceforth they slightly decrease each year until 1917, when they will, however, still aggregate £20.900,000. i One of the important items provided for ' is £500,000 for the construction of subI marines in 1909. After 1910 £750,000 will be spent annually upon submarines. The official memorandum states that the increase of expenditure is necessitated by the higher cost of the Dreadnought type of ships and of artillery, which it ie calculated will involve an outlay of £102,450,000. or £35,950.000 more than planned for in 190©. The6e burdens are imposed upon the taxpayer, according to the memorandum, " bxr the restless endeavours in progress in all great navies to perfect the construction and armament of battleships, cruisers, and torpedo-boats. IE the efficiency of German I fighting ships is not to lag behind that of I other nations, the German navy cannqfe ' avoid availing itself of every possible teohnT-j cal improvement. Their costliness is still further increased by the higher-price conditions generally prevailing in the industrial world." " The memorandum also points out that! the technical requirements of the Dreads nought types demand an augmented personnel, to the extent of 10 officers, ninel ' engineers, and 575 men for each ship. A separate Budget calls for the appro priation of £11.150,000 for the widening ©£ the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal, so that it 6hall be na\ igable for 18,000 and 19,000-ton battle* ships and cruisers. Although the insatiable Naval party, which is supported by scores of influential iournals throughout the empire, decriee the " modest y " of the Government's near pro^ posals, and urges the Reichstag Ao demandl " more," other influential voices declare! that, in view of the disheartening financial condition of the empire, the new proposals savour of mad extravagance. Impe» rial debt, which has increased by leaps and! bounds in recent years, now totals ov©6 £200,000,000, and is rapidly approachinfc £250,000,000. To meet immediate necessities, the Government intends borrowing £13,000,000 of fresh money, but even after, that has been done there remains an uncovered deficit of £8,000.000. Experte see relief only in the imposition of burdensome new taxes, even if the Government takes over the alcohol monopoly, and, as has iust been suggested, a* monopoly of the country's entire electric) supnly. The Berliner Neueste Adchnchten announces that, with a view to accelerating: Germany's warship-building capacity, all tho Government yards are about to bo equipped with plant for the manufacture) of turbine engines of the highest power. The first nlant is now in process of instaN Jation at Kiel. Several large private yards have for long been so equipped. Thef Neueete cays that the Government apparently regards the time has come to build! turbine battleships, as other navies have done.

During the last 12 months the 1561 prisoners in Chelmsford gaol earned £2709.- , Their maintenance cost £2405 during th< taxam pexi«k

.898 . . £5,900,000 .899 ... . 6,500.000 .900 . ,- . 7,400,000 .901 .. . 9,600,000 .902 .. 10,000.000 .903 .... 10,200,000 .904 ... 10,500,000 1905 . ..£11,400.001 19Ct) ... 12,400,001 1907 . .. 13,900,001 1908 . . . 17,000,001 1909 . . 20,000,001 1910 .. 22,000*001 1911 23,000,001