The Naval Race

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 224, 20 March 1912, Page 5

The Naval Race

. BRITAIN'S NEW PROGRAMME. A SIXTY PER CENT. SUPERIORITY. IMPORTANT INNOVATIONS. By Cable —Press Association—Copyright. Received March 19, 11 p.m. London, March 19. In the House of Commons Mr. Winiton Churchill, in introducing the Naval Estimates, said that the fertile Budget of. 1909 made possible an increase of armaments without additional taxation or loan. The time would come when Britain and, Germany would understand, without ill-temper, the conditions wherennder competition' could be carried out. During the next, few years Germany, which at present did not feel the weight of maintaining year after year a gigantic navy, whose cost matured relentlessly, would do so. He (Mr. Churchill) was not prepared to recommend a two to one standard against Germany. The time, however, might come when it would be necessary, but not now. The changes in the European situation rendered the two-power standard inapplicable and inadequate. The Admiralty's present standard compared with Germany's wa« sixty per cent, superiority in battleships, dreadnoughts and cruisers. That should suffice for five years if Germany did not alter her plaas. As the pre-dreadnought declined :n fighting value so would the ratio rise above sixty. It appeared necessary to construct four ships and three dreadnoughts alternately during the next •exennium. That was the least require! to maintain the standard, and the Estimates were framed accordingly. If Germany increased the rate of construction, Britain would meet it upon a higher ratio of superiority by four additional ships spread over the six year period. He wished to make it clear that any .retardation or reduction in German construction would meet with England's prompt response, contingent on the absence of dangers elsewhere. Supposing both took a year's holiday. three ships would not be built, and Germany would have nearly seven millions to the good and automatically wipe out five potential British super-dreadnoughts. Germany would be no gainer by the increase, nor would she be a loser on the basis he laid down, which afforded a plan whereby, without diplomatic negotiations, bargainings or restriction, freedom from keen and costly rivalry could be abated. Britain stood on the defensive. A surprise attack from Germany or anyone else was inconceivable. Apart from the moral aspect England had no means of following up an attack, even if it were successful. "A naval defeat," he continued, "would mean more to us than to Germany or France, because we must be fed from the sea. Hence the necessity of naval supremacy, which is net a matter of trade or commerce, but our very freedom, and we must so conduct affairs that no single navy would have a reasonable prospect of success against us."

Oil fuel was a perplexing problem. While incontestably superior to coal, they had to solve the problem whether they would be able in times of peace to obtain supplies at a reasonable price and without restrictions in war time; also whether they were able to store sufficient in reserve as a safeguard from aeroplanes or sabotage. He announced the recasting of the organisation for home defence. This would be divided into three fleets, comprising eight battle squadrons of eight ships each, with attendant auxiliaries. Thus they would be able to assemble sixtyfive battleships, compared with thirtyeight by the next strongest Power. - Torpedo boat flotillas, commanded by special admirals, would protect the coasts against minor raids while the battle fleet .was defeating the enemy. He announced his intention of promoting 100 younger warrant officers to ft rank equivalent to sub-lieutenants, and to award commission.! to senior midshipmen. . He proposed to create a new force called the immediate reserve, comprising retired men who have served from five to ten years, limited to 5000, wherewith he would be enabled to man at short notice the seventh battle squadron and the cruiser squadron. It was also intended to revert to the continuous commission of ships manned by the nucleus of the crews on home stations. He concluded by dilating upon the spectacle of the world devoting its wealth, manhood and science to producing gigant?c military Machinery, which became obsolescent as soon as it was created, draining the coffers and stinting the needs of the people. The most hopeful interpretation of the phenomenon was that these rivalries became substitutes for the actual war of the earlier ages.

INCREASED NAVAL BURDENS. It is understood that a change has been made in the proposals for the further expansion of the German fleet, which is in the nature of a compromise between the views of the Admiralty and those of the Imperial Chancellor. Whether this variation has been due to the result of the late elections is not known. It was intended to lay down eighteen Dreadnoughts in the next six years, but it is now proposed to build only fifteen ships. Tliis change (says the London Telegraph of February 0) has been referred to as a possibility by our Berlin correspondent, and it is now understood to have been adopted by the German Government. The new scheme, adds the Telegraph's naval correspondent, will be as follows: (a) Steps will be taken to lay down daring the next six years three addiiioifcl battle-cruisers, swift Dreadnoughts, in addition to the twelve ships of the Dreadnought type, twelve protected cruisers, and "seventy-two destroyer? provided for under the present Navv Law. and a larger number of submarines than ever before. (h) The new P.iTl will also make provision for "instituting a new battle squadron of the TlL'h Sea Fleet (the Third) with the necessary allied cruisers and

torpedo craft, thus addfhg approximately one-third to the number of vessels now in sea-going commission. (c) Steps will simultaneous]}' be taken to authorise the raising, year by year, of sufficient officers and men for this new division of the High Sea Meet, increasing the number of officers and men from 60,805 to about 80,000. It is understood that the three additional armoured ships will be laid down in alternate years between 1912 and 1917.