THE WARSHIP TRADE.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 360, 29 October 1898, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE WARSHIP TRADE.

There is nothing mere remarkable among international questions just now than the fact that almost every navy in the world has one or more British built shins. The buying and sellinir of warships has litcnm" a irreit indus'ry in Cheat Britain and Ireland. Several ttiotisind woikinvr men on the Thames and elsewhere are earning good wages to-day by constructing war vessels that might be used against Grpat Mritain a couple, of years heuco or less ; while at Birmingham and Eluwick, near Newcastle, guns are being made with which to arm them ; and at Sheffield the armour with which to clothe them is beiug hardened and rolled out iuto plates of the desired thickness. According to tho latest Lloyd's Register, there are under lom-trnction at the Royal Dockyards 5 first-class battleships, 2 first class protected cruisers, 2 second-class protected cruisers, i third class protected cruisers, 2 sloops, and 1 Royal yacht—total, 16 vessels. At private yards '.here are mider construction for the British Government 3 first ■ class battleships, 3 first-class protected crusiers, 3 secondol.iS" protected crusitrs, 5 third-class pro- i tected cruisers, -1 gunboats, and 26 torpedo boat der.troypi'B—total, 44 vessels In private yards there arc under construction for owners "foreign or not stated "30 warships of various kinds. It is because the warship construction is so well and cheaply done that the British private firms are now building warships for Austria, Germany, Japan, China, Chili, Norwaj', Portugal and Brazil. For Oermany they are building a torpedoboat destroyer of great speed and powerful armament, white Austria's order is for four torpedo-boats. Out of the war indemnity paid by China they are constructing for the victorious Japanese eight battleships and cruisers and eight torpedo-boat destroyers. According to a writer i.« the Pall Mall Gazette, Great Britaiu has benefited by the trade, including guns and stores and the fitting out of vessels for sea, to the extent of thirty or thirty-five millions sterling. This large sum is equal to about oue-third of the first cost of the whole British Navy, which, as everyone knows, is superior to any other two in the world. Britain has built powerful and deadly warships for great Rowers like Germany, Russia, Spain, Austria, and Italy, for Turkey, Greece, Sweden, Norway, Japan aud China, and for unimportant countries like Mexico, Sarawak, Pern and Liberia. In short, at one time or another, she has added British-built vessels to eaoh of the navies of the world, except, those of the United States and France. It cannot but be admitted that the trade is an exceptionally dangerous one. It is difficult however, to see how it could be prevented, for if Britain refuses to build these vessels other countries would at once attract her capital aud skilled workmen.