NAVIES OF THE WORLD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 214, 3 September 1908, Page 4

NAVIES OF THE WORLD.

THEill STKENUTIt AND DISPOSITION. In an interesting article on the -Strength of the Navies oitlie World,' by Colonel foster, Director of Military Science at the University of Sydney in the Sydney Daily Telegraph, it is stated that "except lor the present exceptional cruise of the United States iieet, all nations but England keep theirs iu home waters. England has one lieet in the Mediterran-eanj and her others are in Western Europ, can waters, not, as i» sometimes imagined, to have them near her coasts, but that they may lie readily concentrated against her possible foes. . . • The present disposition of the British armoured ileets is as follows:—In the, North Sea is our strongest force, the Channel Fleet and the Nore division of the home lleet, comprising over 20 best battleships,. \i armoured a:ul 12 unarmoured cruisers, and H-l tor-pedo-boat destroyers. I'll the Channel is the rest of the Home fleet, seven battleships and six cruis-ors, with nucleus crews, ready at short notice, besides all the reserve ships uncommissioned. In the Atlantic and Mediterranean are fleets of six battleships and four cruisers, besides the Atlantis cruiser squadron of four armoured cruisers, and a similar one in Chinawaters. . . . The United States,

like Germany, keeps together all battleships in commission in one fleet, ilioth siiiiihirly composed of ten powerful and six' lesser vessels. But tile Cerman ships live less powerful, class for class, and the United States Fleet is considerably the stronger, its superiority over the British Cliairnol Fleet,' however, is less marked. The latter has eight ships equal to the live largest of the United .States, and six far larger than the six smallest of the United Slates. The Fleet now in the Pacilic represents nearly the whole of the armoured strength of the United Stales navy, there lieing left at home of battleships only two of 13,nnil tons (just completed), and one of 10,000 tolls (nearly ready), n\id four second-class in reserve; and of cruisers, two large ones not unite completed and two small and old ones. The United States have thus almosli denuded their Atlantic interests,which eun hardly be risked for very long. T!t is probable that sonic reliance w:is placed on the friendly relations wifii Kilghril. and on the power of her navy io ward off danger from Europe; a friendly office heartily undertaken during the Spanish War'in 18!)8, which the United States generously recognised and have not forgotten."