Empire’s Naval Needs

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 263, 27 January 1928, Page 1

Empire’s Naval Needs

DEFENCE IN SEVEN SEAS Americas Competitive Claims / By Cable. — Pr« m Association.—Copyright. Received 10.30 a.m. MELBOURNE, To-day. SIR ROfeERT HORNE, M.P. for Glasgow, referring to naval !. armaments at the Overseas Club, said that last year in the United States the idea was very prevalent, because we failed to come to an agreement with that nation on the question of the number of cruisers to be built, that Great Britain had some ulterior design and still cherished the desire to have a navy larger than that of any other nation.

THE controversy between Britain and the United States was over the number of cruisers each shot.ld have, America wanted to have a certftin number of 10,D00-ton cruisers and wished to limit the number of cruisers which Great Britain required. “We could not accept America’s figure, and insisted that, we required a mo ch greater-number of cruisers than bad been stipulated," said Sir Robert. “We had no aggressive intention at all. All we asked was that we should have the -number of cruisers we required in accordance with the distance of the Empire.

“America is self-contained and has only one or two near possessions, so she requires fewer ships than Britain, whose possessions are scattered all through the Seven Seas. Further, America requires a large cruiser because it has to steam a greater distance to refuel, whereas the Empire possesses a large number of fueling stations throughout the world. Her cruisers could operate with a much smaller store of fuel, but we require far more of them than America does. “We should have been failing in our duty to those portions of the Empire, here and overseas, if we had failed to maintain the position that nothing less than our absolute necessities should be agreed to. “Great Britain is bound to recognise her own necessities, and the needs of her great communities which depend on she affords, and we did nothing less than our duty in maintaining that position.—A. and N.Z. “IDIOTIC AND ASININE” U.S. ADMIRAL’S OUTBURST By Cable.—Press Association. — Copyright. Reed. 9.50 a.m. WASHINGTON, Thurs. In the House of Representatives, Mr. James V. McClintic, described Admiral Plunkett’s alleged war talk as “an idiotic and asinine outburst.” He declared that the admiral's prophecy of war with Great Britain “has had the effect of curtailing and destroying trade relations instead of increasing commerce with friendly nations.”—A. and N.Z. .- ' -