MORE CRUISERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 588, 14 February 1929, Page 9

MORE CRUISERS

Britain, America, and Germany All Make Bids for Sea-Power NAVIES OF THE NATIONS Q 1 -M ULIAXEOUSLY with the news that Britain has laid kJ down two more 10,000-ton cruisers as part of the 1928 programme. A\ asliington reports that President Coolidge has signed the bill authorising the construction of 15 cruisers and one aircraft-carrier. Also, it has been revealed that Germany’s new wonder cruiser is the first of four of the same e-lass. (United P.A. — l3y Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian and ~N.Z. Press Association) (United Service)

Received 9.5 a.m. WASHINGTON, Wednesday. President Coolidge on Wednesday signed the Bill authorising the construction of 15 new cruisers and one aircraft-carrier.

The President signed the Bill with little ceremony after a conference with Congressional leaders concerning ways and means to provide the necessary £10,000,000 in this and the next fiscal year.

There was no official comment after the conference, but it was indicated that all leaders were willing to cooperate with President Coolidge’s wish rigidly to hold down legislative appropriations in order to provide for criusers under the present Budget. Chairman F. A. Britten, of the House Naval Affairs Committee, issued a statement praising President Coolidge for signing the Bill, and charging that the naval construction programme adopted by Britain “is a distinct menace to the balance of the world.”

Mr. Britten also charged that the accepted principles of the Washington Conference had been violated by each

ot its signatories except the United States, thus leaving the American Navy far behind the 5-5-3 ratio. His statement added: “The President knows better than anyone else that his Geneva conference for the further limitation of ships of war failed because our representatives would not agree to limit our navy to the kind of ships best adapted to British uses.”

NEW BRITISH CRUISERS LONDON, Wednesday. The naval correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says there is good reason to believe that Britain would not have built two more costly 10,000ton cruisers but for the action of other Powers. Britain at present has 11 of the type and Australia two. With the two now being laid down the Empire will eventually have 15 heavy cruisers compared with America’s 23. Japan has eight and France and Italy six each. It is improbable that much progress will be made with the new ships before the end of the current financial year, says the correspondent. Certainly they will not be ready for service until the spring or summer of 1932.

These two ships belong to the 1928 programme. The navy estimates for 1929 provide for three more cruisers, one of 10,000 tons and two of 8,400 tons. GERMAN WONDER SHIP The Paris correspondent of ’‘The Times” says the French Ministry of Marine is watching with intense interest and with no little anxiety the German Government’s naval plans. It was recently revealed that the cruiser now being built in Germany is the first of four of the same class. The Minister of Defence, General Groener, recently indicated tha.t the new craft were designd to secure Germany’s preponderance in the Baltic. But what the French authorities are asking is, if the cruisers were really designed to control the Baltic, why should they be so superior to the necessities of that task? FRANCE ANXIOUS It is pointed out in Paris that although the new cruisers will have a displacement of only 10,000 tons they will be enormously superior In gun power and protection to the conventional type of 10,000-ton vessels which they could blow out of the water with immunity to themselves. The radius of action of the new German ships would make possible long operational periods in the Mediterranean and further afield. Wherever these cruisers appear they will enjoy local superiority against any force which does not include a squadron of super-Dreadnoughts. The French view* is that Germany is using her treaty rights in this way to replace her six obsolete battleships. Competition In naval building is believed to be Inevitable unless limitation can be secured by agreement. The opinion in France is that the German Government will assume a heavy responsibility if it starts a new armaments race.