BID FOR SEA POWER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8240, 19 September 1906, Page 3

BID FOR SEA POWER.

How little prospect fcbere is that the dreams of a genetal uavai disarmament will be realised ia shown by the aotivity whioh is now being displayed by the Germau Admiralty. immediately after the British Admiralty has decided to reduce]] the • shipbuilding program re for the present year by one battleship, and to postpone the eomu'mioement of the vessels which are to be laid down, we have, from Germany]!the announcement that the, new German battleship will be largeriu size than the Dreadnought anil much more heavily armed. . The British Sea Lords framed their calculations on the supposition that their own official return, drawn up in April of the presort year, was correct. That return gave the new 'German battleship an armament of only eight lliu. weapons, and a number of smaller guns, upon a displacement of 17,710 tony. Actually, however, the armament is to be sixteen lliu. guus, or trcice as formidable as was sunpos9d, and the displacement is to be .19,000 tons, or 13,000 tons more than the Intelligence Department anticipated. There are now re[.<';rfcs that yet au,otber supplementary (lermau programme is coming at the close ofthe year, that German construction is to be accelerated, and perhaps additional ships laid down. The country was told by the Ministerial spokesman that England could hnild atiips faster than Germany. But the industry of Mr fiellaiis, a Liberal meiuboi of Parliament, has non elicited the inconvenient fact that Germany is actually building as fast as, or faster, than Britain. The new types of German battleships and armoured cruisers will have a displacement of nearly nineteen thousand tons. The new vessels will have a maximum speed of nineteen to twenty knots, and will be built an the triple-sorew system. Their steaming radius will be considerably greater than 5,500 ailes owing to their enlarged bunker capacities. There will be twenty-eight officers and a orew of 832 on each. The main batteries will be equipped wih s'xteen lliin. guns mounted upon each of the new ships in armoured revolving turrets. The Dreadnought battery is ten il2in guns, 45 calibres or 45ft long, whereas the German vessels wil carry 16 llin. guuß, 50 calibres orl 45ft. lOin. long. The penetrative power of the long llin. gun, carried in the German ships is almost exactly the same as that of the shorter 12in. gans carried by the Dreadnought, thpngh the shell fired by the British gun is a little • Heavier. In a battle broadside to broadside the Dreadnought would bring to bear eight 12ln. guns to the German ship's twelve llin. ganfl. The German advantage in number of guns -and weight of metal would be such as probably to give her the victory, granted equael kill on either side. Two of these vessels are to be laid down for the German Nary this year and two next year. Great Britain laid down one Dreadnought last year and will early next year begin three more. The German ships will be built as fast as the British. The following is a comparison of the time oooupied in building BritißD and German battleships. GERMANY. Years. Months. Kaiser Barbarossa ... 2 9 Wettin ... 3 Schwaben ... 3 1 Braunschweig ... 2 11 Freussen ... 3 1 Deutsohland ... 3 1 GREAT BRITAIN. Years. Months. Albion ... 4 7 Montagu "... 3 8 Dominion ... 3 4 JJew Zealand ... 2 5 King Edward made an inspection of the battleship Dreadnought, which is nearing completion at Portsmouth, on Saturday, August 11th. His Majesty, has taken great interest in the vessels throughout, and some of his suggestions are embodied in her design. Although the day was hot and the climb a steep one the King went actively up the ladders, and from the vantage point of tne bridge made a keen survey of the ship,. "A magnifioent vessel, 1 was bis Majesty's comment. The King noted with interest the disposition of her barbettes, and commented upon the clear sweep afforded her guns. "This is a great improvement upon other battleships," said the King, indicating with his hand the -number and positions of the i2in. weapons. i