THE RIVAL NAVIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 195, 26 November 1910, Page 10

THE RIVAL NAVIES.

The naval correspondent of the Daily News (Liberal) recently stated that Germany had not begun four of her 1910 Dreadnoughts, owing to the fact that Great Britain had commenced the installation of 13y 2 in. guns, while Germany had just begun with 12in. This discovery had blocked the German shipbuilding. The correspondent added that similarly after the building of the first British Dreadnought, when Germany had secured plans of the Dreadnought she laid down eight of her own, all with the defects of the original British vessels, which she was not able to correct before starting on the construction. Hence, he concluded, Britain was always ahead. "That much-discussed 13.5 in. gun is once more looming on the horizon," recently wrote the Berlin correspondent of the Navy (the Navy League jurnal). "At least one such weapon is now being tested near Essen, and it is a fact that the trials are proving most satisfactory. The 'jump cards' forwarded to Berlin reveal no trace of irregularity in the projectile's flight, but, on the contrary, show perfectly spherical and aligned perforations. I mention this fact as a possible indication that sooner or later a batch of German vessels will mount the 13.5 in, weapon. Precisely what particular units are to receive such an armament and what number of these monster guns are to bo mounted, it is frankly impossible to say at the moment. There is undoubtedly a very strong partiality for the big gun among officers of the Imperial Marine to-day. but since a sharp line is drawn between the views of naval architects and sailors in thii countiy as elsewhere, the latter may have to wait some time before their desire is carried into effect."