The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. SATURDAY, JULY 19, 1913. NAVAL SUPREMACY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 63, 19 July 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. SATURDAY, JULY 19, 1913. NAVAL SUPREMACY.

'Hie Naval Annual for 1913, reviewing the situation, shows that the British Empire is maintaining the position it has always held in the costly struggle for naval supremacy, and that lor some years to come at least, there is no cause for uneasiness. At the close of this year Britain will have twenty-nine modern battleships and battle-cruisers, Germany will have seventeen, France eight, Italy three. Austria two, and Russia two. Two years later, in December, 1915, the I British total will be forty-one, the German twenty-three, the French thlr-j teem, the Italian eight, the Austrian) lour and the Russian nine. Viscount Hythe, the editor of the Annual, considers these figures to be “not unsatisfactory.” He also says that at the end of 191-5 Britain will have

ready for service forty-one—and may

have forty-four—all-bic-inm ships to

twenty-three possessed by Germany and thirty-five by the Triple Alliance. Hie Franco-Rnssian combination will

at the same date possess twenty-two ships, and will in modern ships be almost equal to the Gorman Navy alone. The strength of the French Navy will he greater in 1915 than that

of Italy and Austria combined. I is evident, therefore, that in the inv mediate future the Franco-Russian

■ombination will he a serious facto

in preserving the balance of power it Europe. Viscount Hytlio furthci states that Britain can afford to moder-

ate the plan of comenhra.’.iug s"'ongth in the North Sea, and suggests that four Dreadnoughts should he sent to the Mediterranean and that the proposed Imperial Squadron, which is to include the New Zealand, should be based on Hong Kong and Sydney instead of Gibraltar. Mr Churchill recently declared that the British shipbuilding programme was complete without the suggested Canadian vessels, and if these are provided it will increase the Empire’s lead. Nevertheless tin 1 struggle is a costly one to the nations, and the world wonders

where' it will end. A real practical use lor battleships was, not long ago, advocated hy an American Senator, who introduced a Bill stipulating that every Cidled States warship sailing tor foreign ports should he loaded

with samples ol American wants- tie proposed that the Secretary for the Navy should co-operate with the Sect etarv for Commerce to allot space on

battleships to manutactn-ei a, merchants, exporters, or trade hoduv, who shall be permitted to install and maintain the exhibits. '1 be idea is certainly American in its hold novelty, but it is hardly likely to find favour.

A meeting of the "W ai Aroha I cot, ( X.O.K.J was held in Bio. W. Henry’s house, Cordelia Street, on Thursday evening, the Chief Kuler, Bro. W. Henry, presiding. There was'a good attendance of members. Two candidates were initiated into the Order. After the business meeting the bodge went into harmony, a very pleasant evening being spent. ,

A well-attended meeting of the Stratford Gymnastic Club was held last night, when it was decided to combine the whole club into one class, to oo held on Wednesday evenings. The boxing class will be continued as usual on Wednesdays. The club is in a good position financially, and what is more important, all the monitors are enthusiastic.

Teams representing Ngaere and Stratford met in a, cribbage match at Elder’s rooms last night, the visitors being defeated by 46 games to 33. The scores at the different tables were as follows (Stratford players being mentioned first in each case). A. Speck and C. Jackson 4, P. Wisnewski and A. A'. Sims 7; Jones and Mills 6, Thomas and J. Wisnewski 6; J. McMahon and T. Colson 7, D. Tecofsky and R. Staveley 4 ; Butchart and Ryan 6 Tavlor and o’Driscoll 3; A. H. Trotter and W. Collins 8, J. Thomas and T. Orr 4; H. Jones and W. CUtton 7, R. and B. Orr 6; Lawson and Kelly 8, Callaghan and Scanned 3. After play was finished a tasty supper was partaken of. A rubber of three matches has been arranged, the next match taking place next Friday evening in Stratford.

A reporter on the Otago Daily Tunes was recently shown a device which has been invented by Mr William Adams, of View street, to announce tho coming of a train at any point required. This can be done m two wavs, either by means of a signal post or an electric bell. The signal post is operated by means of a small trip lever on the ground between the rails, which is turned over by an arm m front of the oncoming engine, the lever communicating with the signa post bv means of wires. After the train has passed the crossing the arm on the engine engages another trip-lever, which restores the signa to normal. In the case of a very fast train, which might possibly fail to work the signal, two wires laid parallel in the bed of the track are connected by a rod underneath the engine, the connection ringing the hell at tie crossing. The bell can be made to give a series of short rings by dipping the wire at intervals' out of reach o u rod, The idea is somewhat ingenious, and seen in practice on a small scale at Mr Adams’s workshop, worked perfectly. As fail,as could be seen there is no reason /whatever _ why it should not work as well on a big scale. The invention has been paten ec throughout Australia and New Zealand .