NAVAL STRENGTH

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20743, 1 March 1939, Page 7

NAVAL STRENGTH

THE NAVY ESTIMATES £153,666,681 FOR YEAR EXPANSION OF PROGRAMME 'United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received March 1, 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. *8 The Navy Estimates are £153,666,681, an Increase of £22,471,500. ▼he new construction programme has been Increased by two destroyer flotillas, twanty escort vessels, end ten minesweepers. The year's programme, therefore, provides for two capital ships, one aircraft-carrier, four cruisers, two destroyer flotillas, 22 escort vessels, ten mine-sweepers, one river gunboat, one hospital ship, six motor torpedo boats, and two boom defence vessels. It also Includes provision for a new Royal yacht to replace the Victoria and Albert. The cost of the 1939 programme is £60,500,000, excluding the Royal yacht and the battleships Duke of York, Jellieoe and Beatty, which will be launched during the current year. A high Admiralty official stated that the estimates would almost certainly be even higher in 1940. Two hundred ships were being constructed in 1939. The King intimated that in the event of a war the Royal yacht would be used as a hospital ship. The sum of £11,750.000 is being devoted to the fleet air arm. STRANGE DISCREPANCY DIFFERENCE IN EBTIMATE6 PROMISE OF ELUCIDATION (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. CopyrlgHt) (Received March 1, 11.20 a.m.) LONDON. Feb. 28 A strange discrepancy that is puzzling everybody is that the Admiralty's bulk total Navy Estimates Is £153,666,681, while Lord Stanhope’s figure is £147,779,000, which does not appear anywhere In the Admiralty’s table, yet forms the basis of comparison with last year's figures. The Admiralty includes effective and non-effective services. It promises elucidation of the matter later. TIME NOT OPPORTUNE WORLD PEACE CONFERENCE MR CHAMBERLAIN'S OPINION (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Feb. 27 Replying in the House of Commons to questions regarding the statement in iiis speech on Tuesday last dealing with the difficulties in the way of a new world conference on peace and disarmament, Mi* Chamberlain said tho Government believed permanent peace could only be secured by a settlement which included limitation of armaments and the removal of barriers to international trade. “ I have more than once stated my view that before a world conference oould be summoned to deal with such questions a considerable amount of preliminary preparation would be necessary, and I explained the reasons why 1 do not consider the time has yet arrived when such a conference would be a practical proposition,” Mr Chamberlain added. As soon as he though it possible to convene such a conference with any chance of success, said the Prime Minister, he would certainly do so, and would, whenever he thought It might be useful, communicate with the President of the United States on the matter. ARMY OF 10,000 PLANS FOR AUBTRALIA COST OF £4,000.000 A YEAR • ; United Press A«>n.—Gee. TeL Copyright) SYDNEY, Feb. 28 The Federal Cabinet, hitting -ta Sydney to-day. approved the establishment of a standing army of 10,000 men. who will he enlisted at the rate of 200 a year over the uext five years. The cost of such an army is estimated at £i,000,000 a year.