ROYAL NAVY CRUISERS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 51, Issue 134, 19 March 1931, Page 5

ROYAL NAVY CRUISERS

NO MORE AUSTRALIA TYPE. EARLY DEFECTS EXAGGERATED. (United Press Association—Copyright). (Received This Day, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, March 18. The “Daily Telegraph” understands that irrespective of Treaty obligations no more of the Washington type of cruisers like the Australia and Canberra will be constructed for the British Navy. They constitute a hybrid type born of political expediency and have been tried and found' wanting. They are condemned by the highest naval opinion, as they reproduce in an exaggerated scale all the defects of our early battle-cruisers, three of which blew up at Jutland under fire from more lightly armed ships. The “Telegraph” recalls Sir William Berry’s criticism and adds: “There is no question of scrapping the present 10,000 tonuers, but the type ig dead. This is an encouraging sign that the. Admiralty has at last broken from the artificial standard established by the Washington Treaty and is now seeking to build ships adopted to the needs /of the Empire.”

A 'London cablegram dated January 21 stated: The “Daily Express” naval correspondent asks: “Are the British 10,000 ton cruisers', of the Canberra and Australia type and vvliich were built to the Washington Treaty limits, death traps?” The correspondent proceds: “To-day it is practically admitted officially that the ships were a grave mistake. iSir William Berry (late director of Naval Construction) writing in Brassey’s Annual states that as at present built a well-placed salvo of eight-inch shells would place the 10,000 tenners out of action. Protection has been sacrificed to speed. If more Treaty cruisers are built they must be slower. "These disclosures explain why the Admiralty stopped building the 10,000 ton type and started smaller types. Illustrating: the immense waste involved in high speed, Brassey’s Annual instances a foreign cruiser which at 30 knots with 61,000 horse-power, required 110,000 horsepower for 32.75 knots. “The Express” cirrespondent adds: America is building 18 of the type, France seven, Italy seven and Japan eight, at a total cost of £100,000,000 an ironic commentary on the Limitation Treaty that pushed the peoples of the world helter-skelter into pouring out money which naval experts condemn.