THE BRITISH NAVY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue XXIV, 23 June 1902, Page 3

THE BRITISH NAVY.

DEBATE IN TBS COMMONS. BIRE3FORD ON ADMIRALTY METHODS. THE QUESTION OF IMPERIAL DKHENCE. PER. PHESS ASSOCIATION. Receivtd 22, 5.21 p m. London, June 21. During the debate in ths Hou=e ol > Commons, on the Admiralty Estimates. Lird Charles Beresford siid the G> veinmant was doing its utmost to make the Mediterranean fle-t one four h stronger than in 1901. Tbe number of torpedo catchers w»s doubled, «h !a stores were 80 per c»nt. better. The Admiralty's system of administration was rotten. The reseive amounted to 20,000 man instead of 80,000 es pos-eefg-.d by one of Britain's enemies. The engir e-room departments were a thousand men short. Without trained stokers tbe boilers were worse than useless. Nobody at the Board of Admiralty war directly responsible for the . maintenance of efficiency. One Government had been ejee'ed from &ffi:e because there was no cordite; later it was discovered there were no gun*, and in 1901 we were short of coil. What was wanted was s~me individual or department responsible for the requirements in detail, and to subm t demands to those responsible in Parlitmeut. A vigorous debate followed. Sir Henry Campbsll-Binneynan did not bel eve the First Lord of the Admiralty would ever disregard news from the First Sea Lord. Bir Charles Dilke complained of the Admiralty's vacillation, instancing the matter of the Wei-hai-wei School of Naval Strategy. Admiral Sir Junes Colomb hoped the colonies would be reminded of their obligations, Mr E. Robertson recommended the appointment of Parliamentary committees of general control. Mr Arnold Forstersiid tbe supply of coal was extended proportionately to the means of storing; rot as a result of i any agitation. Similarly, as regards the flier, ships were sent or' becausa they were completed. All 11 :ets had been strengthened. The lotelligence ] Department of the Navy hid been j strengthened. It would ba disastrous i to refer scientific details to a Parliamentary committee. He recognised the need of come reinforcement of the in'ellectual equipment which m'ght direct the enormous forces of j the Empire; also the value, evon in their present not wholly developed form, of the Intelligence Department. But there were questions outside the purview of either of thog« bodies, act-, ing independently. There w-)s room for a greater amount of preparation in| advance. Regarding the defence ofj tbe Empire, he was not sanguine as to the possibility of improving in a year, | or even in a quinquennium or decade, j organisation enabling the Admiralty, to do all that wis desxable. The pre- j B?nt Board was aware of the deficiencies j of the Navy, and was alert in remedying them. The debate was adjourned. The Times siys Mr Former's speech is probably the mo3t important declaration of the higher policy of defence; since the Duke ef Devonshire's an-, nouncement that the Government and ■ the Admiralty hid accepted the main- j tenance of s°a supremacy es the ba-is, of Imperial deferce. What was wanted j was an organ of executive government; to sm the prob'eoa stoidily a* a whole, namely, a spec al depirment puppror to the Admiralty and ths War t king the widest purview of th» situation. The declaration commit'ed the Government and Admiralty to the only policy —peaae and defence on a national and intelligible basis.