THE COMPARATIVE STRENGTH OF THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH NAVIES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1239, 13 September 1884, Page 2

THE COMPARATIVE STRENGTH OF THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH NAVIES.

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Thomss Symonds, G.C.8., has compiled an interesting comparison of the naval estimates in England and Franco for 1884-5, with the number of ships in course of construction in each country. From this wo find that France has fifteen armoured ships in course of construction, while we have only twelve, and of these four are imitations of the French barbettes, and two citadel ships of the old style, armed with 43-ton guns (8.L.). it is also stated that the new English ships are to be armoured one-third of their length only, whilst the French are armoured their whole length. In the building yards of France, it is added, 22,852 men are employed ; in the English yards, 18,441. Here, it seems, we build by contract one ironclad, two dispatch vessels, two torpedo vessels, one gunboat, and four torpedo boats ; the French two ironclads, eight torpedo vessels, and three despatch J

vessels. Admiral Seymonds declares that the British navy is starved, and looks forward to a “ naval Sedan” as a certainty. Of the sixty-two “fighting and seagoing ironclads” of which a list has been issued by Parliament, only some fifteen according to Admiral Symonds—can go at full speed ; the rest are “ mere traps to slaughter and drown their crews, owing to their thin armour and faulty structure.” Then all the French ships have breechloading guns ; ours, with the exception of nine, have obsolete muzzle loaders.