THE BRITISH NAVY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 340, 16 March 1910, Page 5

THE BRITISH NAVY.

THE NEW 'PROGRAMME. ABSOLUTE SUPERIORITY SECURE. THE AUSTRALASIAN SHIPS. SPEECH BY THE NAVAL LORD. By Cable.- j-'mss Association.—Copy right Received March 15, 10.40 p.m. London, March 15. Mr. Reginald McKenna (First Lord of the Admiralty), speaking in committee on the Navy Estimates, said these were neither excessive nor insufficient. Two oi the five additional Dreadnoughts would be laid down in, Januarv, and the remainder would be under construction and likewise laid down in January. He expressed the Government's gratification with the two great Australasian dominions' action with to the national navy. (Cheers.) The Australasian ships would shortly be begun and completed in the summer of 1012, and leave Europe in the autumn of 1912, w.hen the others would be nearing completion. He added that by March, 1913, there would be twenty Dreadnoughts. Thus throughout 1912 and till March, 1913, our absolute superiority in Dreadnoughts was secure. Respecting the other classes our position was incomparable. He ,did not anticipate any serious reduction in future estimates. Replying to Lord Charles Beresford's interruption about the initiation of Dreadnoughts, Mr. McKenna declared that the first British Dreadnought was begun five months after Japan's Satguma in 1903. He proceeded to emphasise that there had been no decrease in the foreign naval programmes during the past year. The Admiralty's programme was framed according to what was being done abroad now and during the next two years.

THE GERMAN PROGRAMME. DAMAGING ADMISSIONS. LORD BERESFORD URGES A HUGE LOAN. BUILDING ALL THE SHIPS BY 1914. Received March 10, 0.1 a.m. London, March 15. Mr. McKenna, replying to questions, added that thirteen German Dreadnoughts were now being' constructed, and iour more for 1910-1911 would possibly be laid down in April and commissioned twenty-six months afterwards. He •hoped the fact of the Admiralty providing against any contingency would not give rise to the fear that a friendly nation was accelerating its programme with any hostile design against us. Mr. McKenna admitted the dockyard slips were idle between September and January, but remarked that the urgent need of more ships had improved matters. Mr. Lee criticised the Government for starving the shipbuilding vote. The estimates of the United States totalled altogether fifty millions. Mr. Barnes (a Labor member) described the estimates as unwarrantable. Liberals had surrendered the principle 4>i economy at the dictates of the Opposition.

Mr. MeKenna, correcting Mr. Barnes, Stated that Germany's estimates for 1910-1911. were considerably in excess of those for the past year. Lord Charles Beresford feared the Government was delaying the building of the five Dreadnoughts. The one bright spot was the provision for destroyers, but the fleet was not strong enough. The estimates foT 1911 wou'd be appalling. He urged a loan of 65 millions, spread over twenty or thirty years, for building all the ships required by 1914. WORK FOR 200,000 MEN. London, March 14. The Naval Estimates are expected to provide employment for 200,000 men for two years. Two thousand extra men are engaged at Poplar broadening and lengthening a slip for the accommodation of Dreadnoughts. Another thousand will be engaged after April 1.