THE BRITISH NAVY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 56, 24 July 1912, Page 5

THE BRITISH NAVY.

AUSTRALIAN VIEWS. By Cable—Prws Association—Copyright. Melbourne, July 23. The Federal Ministers agree that Bri» tain should not be asked to send any warships from the North Sea. Mr. Fisher thinks that ships are doing very well cruising in their own waters. BRITAIN'S PROGRAMME. i __ London, July 22. In the House of Commons, J. O'Grady, a Labor member, angrily but vainly demanded precedence over navy matters for the consideration of the case of a starving family of dockers. He threw hie papers on the floor and exclaimed,, "It's a damned scandal." He then quitted the House. Mr. Churchill, in introducing the Supplementary Estimates, said they were due to the new German Navy Law, under which four-fifths of the vessels must be in instant readiness for war. This proportion was unprecedented in modern practice. Britain's programme of construction for the coming five years had been increased by four Dreadnoughts,, and provision was made for the acceleration of the building of smaller cruisers and for a larger number of destroyers and submarines. Eight battleships will be based at Gibraltar, with a subsidiary base at Malta. He added that by 1914 our fully commissioned battleships would be increased from twenty-eight to thirtythree.

MR. CHURCHILL SPEAKS OUT. Received 23, 11.45 p.m. London, July 23. In the House of Commons Mr. Churchill, dealing with the Supplementary | Kaval Estimates, said that the German \ plans involved a remarkable expansion of strength and efficiency. By 1920 the new German fleet would be 41 battleships, 20 battle-cruisers, and 40 small i cruisers, besides an ample proportion of destroyers and submarines. Nearly fourfifths would be maintained in permanent commission. Such a fleet was about as numerous, and superior in actual strength, to the recent fleet at Spithead. Cool, steady and methodical preparation ' over successive years would alone raise our margin of naval power. It was use-, less to fling money about on impulse. The country should learn from Germany, whose policy marches unswervingly. We must, he said, have an ample margin of strength instantly ready. The amount asked in the Supplementary Estimates is only the first and smallest instalment of extra expenditure which the new law entails. Germany is spending about a million a year o:i submarines, and we cannot allow our lead to diminish. It is imperative to swiftly increase fully commissioned battleships. From 1914 onwards we should have tive battleship squadrons, comprising 41 battleships, compared with Germany's 29, whereof four squadrons must remain in full commission. It is necessary to largely increase the personnel of the navy in the next four years. Mr. Churchill denied that the Admiralty had recourse to all available reservists at the recent manoeuvres. It only utilised 40,000 out of 60,000 available.

Received 24, 12.25 a.m. London. July 23. Mr. Churchill said that the problem was not the supply of men at war time, tut to increase the actual service ratings permanently employed: lie foreshadowed an increase of pay, but would make definite proposals in the autumn. The naval position in the Mediterranean was about to undergo intjifirtnt changes in view of the advent of Italian and Austrian Dreadnoughts. He demurred from the assumption that these Powers were likelv to combine against Britain, and also against the that we to maintain local superiority in the Mediterranean over the combined fleets. Any attempt to confine supremacy to a particular water was false strategy and bad politics. They proposed to withdraw six of the older battleships, replacing them with four Invincibles, and also to replace armored cruisers with, more powerful ships.