THE RACE FOR ARMAMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 91, 13 May 1909, Page 4

THE RACE FOR ARMAMENTS.

BRITAIN'S CAPACITY FOR | MOUNTINGS. I THE DREADNOUGHT RACE. According to recent cablegrams, additional plant is being installed at KruppV, which will enable the great German firm to equip with gun-mount-ings eleven Dreadnoughts annually. According to recent estimates, Britain's capacity in the way of gun-mountings is onlv eipial to the equipping of eight Dreadnoughts annually; so the new addition to Krupp's should give Essen a lead of three.

In comparing Uritish and German constructional plant in the matter of guns, gun-mountings, armor, etc., the Daily .Mail says that the provision of heavy

guns U' n lillicull matter, ami "it Is (loubliul it tliu plant avnilubli! in this country could turn out rnpully weapons fo r more than eight Dreadnoughts, this year, lint the capacity could speedily lie raised to sixteen. The only gun-making plants are at Sheflit-ld, Manchester, Elswick. Woolwich, and Coventry. Gun- . mountings are made by only a few funis, as Woolwich has not plant for-the, manufacture of modern 12iu naval 1 iiinuntin"H, and for eight ships annually is probably about the limit..until th'e various works' have expanded their capacity for production. "As for armor, there were serious tlc-laj-pi in 1807-8, when a large number of armored ships were laid down, and owing to the recent small British programmes there is certain to be dilliculty until the output has been expanded, which will take time. Hut as an average of eight large armored ships was paid down annually from 1897 to 1902, for a period of six years, it should be possible in the near 'future to make the armor 'for anything up to sixteen Dreadnoughts per annum, given any certainty of the demand. "As to the provision of machinery, there should be no great dilliculty, except that the outiimt of all the great works will have to lie expanded, and this will require time." IMMENSITY OK KHITPS, "The immensity of the Essen works can 'best 'lie understood from a few figures. There are 00 departments with (iOOO separate machines, 70 hydraulic presses, 40(1 steam boilers, 500' electric inrttors, .050 cranes, 50 locomotives, a:nl 2500 railway cars for the firm's own railway system. For communication between the various departments there are 40 telegraph stations and 50 miles of wire, and 400 telephone stations with 250 miles of wire.

"The armor made by Krupp has long been famous. Fifteen years ago the firm discovered the new process of hardening steel which is known by their name. Steel is hardened under royalty by the same process in England and h other countries, but until recently the results obtained were not equal to Krupp's. The reason was finally discovered to lie in this—that the Krupp ores contained Hip rare metal vanadium, which imparts enormous strength and resisting .power to armor. "Impenetrable secrecy is the dominant feature of this City' of Steel. The workers who are engaged on Government orders do not talk, and few know omsiile the Krupp works and the German Marine Department whether the new .inoii>.'ler guns being made for Gernianv's new monster ships ,u'e of 11 in. I2in. or l:lin calibre, for all tlnve calibres ai',. said to be u'ndi-r construction."