COMMAND OF THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 336, 11 March 1910, Page 5

COMMAND OF THE SEA.

BRITAIN'S NAVAL PROGRAMME. ESTIMATES TOTAL 50'/ s MILLIONS. 10 NEW BATTLESHIPS AND CRCTSERS. By Cable, —Frees Association.—Copyright Received March 10, 10.30 p.m. London, March 10. In the House of Commons to-<lay. the Naval Estimates were introduced by Mr. Reginald McKenna, First Lord of the Admiralty. They provide a total of £50.(103.700. The personnel of the Navy, it is proposed, shall be increased to 131,000 men, as against 128,000 last year. The new construction is to cost £l3, 279,839, whereof £11,850,790 is to be Bpent on vessels already under construction. The balance is to be used for the of the work in connection with the new programme, which will be composed of the iollowing:— i Five lsrge armored ships. Five protected cruisers. Twenty destroyers and A number of submarines, which will _a#t three-quarters of a million. This list is independent of the four contingent battleships and the New Zealand and Australian vessels, tenders for which are now being considered. During the year five battleships, two nnarmored cruisers, nine destroyers, six vtorpedoe.i, and sixteen submarines had been completed. • There will, announced Mr. McKenna, l>e under construction on Ist April— Seven battleships. Three armored cruisers, , Nine protected cruisers, Two nnarmored cruisers, Thirty-seven destroyers, Nine submarines, Two floating docks capable of taking the biggest battleships. The docks will be completed in 1911, and stationed in the Medway and at Portsmouth. Mr McKenna stated that t'he aero nautical branch was conducting important experiments, and airships would be .completed for trials in the summer. He added that a very satisfactory re port had been received concerning the first batch of Australian ratings trained jh England. GERMANY'S FRIENDLINESS. Received March 10, 11.15 p.m. London, MaTch 10. In the House of Commons, Mr. Byles asked whether the recent friendly statements by the German Government would influence the Naval Estimates in ihe direction of retrenchment. Mr. McKenna replied that he reciprocated Germany's friendliness, but said the Naval Estimates were not based on the assumption that other nations meant to be unfriendly. They were ftftmed to preserve our standard of *ml power. He added that no utter*,ce of German Ministers indicated their intention to modify their naval expenditure.

The British Navy Estimates for last year amounted to £36,782,990. The previous year they were £33,942,003.