The French Navy.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 105, 6 February 1900, Page 3

The French Navy.

The statement in tho en bios that, the of n irinnal defence adopted by tho French Cabinet embraces additional "* naval construction, does not c<nue as a surprise. This policy was foieshadowed iv the Fu>nch Press some time a«o. Towards tbu end of December, the Figaro published an interview with M. Loekroy, ex Munbter of Marine, whose ucterancec in regard to the ntt\ y carry mete weight than, ptobahly, the utterances of r.m other bt.dtei-m:v> m I'i';ince. It was M. Lockiov who id-organised (ho na\y in 1 898 and whose Mgorous policy received such swppoit Itom responsible parties tlsal, no^hwith s'anuing the overthiow of his colleagues, he re-tamed office in th? Dlnnsir) formed by M. Ditpuy. Al. Jiockrv.y, vi tne fiist placa, assnmod an aUH.ada ot if^.icenco that is noi attogv uhov cortoioL'-cL wii,h luaienjarki hxhir on. Ai\?v saying Lhr.i he would not spealc, ho wuit on l'liuiydjarel) to sp.ialc in a pjinted manner about " the pci-on d \alour and latelli^oncGot tlio : i"nuh na\al oiiicoi' and ineu." He thun dr^w a picture oi I^'imiu's naval strength, with fix hundied waishipt,, or thoiviibonts, nnd three hundred, or o\en four bundled, merchant vessels tea.ly to b^ armed <«b once for wtr. l>nta.n's oMTiiuisatiUU v/aa faultless, he said, anil she hr> 1 uortb of war, all m apple-pie ordjr, scattered over the surface of th-j globe, in the most convenient places. But v/hat of France V Of her, M. l.ockroy had a very .sad tale to tell. " E\erywhere, in every sea," he slid, " her il'-jts lind.s itbdf confronted with a jOiituh naval force, double or treble iU strength, coinmauJed by youn^j oilic^ra.'' There v.as no naval ports m vibich l ( 't'enrb ships could find the means oi • " caring dran/^d ond replannig s'^iCw '1 *J'i ox-Mm-lster then wont on to point out that France had no .mimim me cables uf her own, and to txyliun that this would place her at an immense disadvantage in case of war. It seems 3trange that M. Lockroy bliould in this, way condemn his own Administration, but the "St James' Budget" suggests that he was simply working on the fears of a strong party m France which is clamouring for war with i'ritain. Perhaps the outcome of his vu&e may bs seen in the scheme ot national defence which has just been published tv the woild.