NAVAL RE-ARMAMENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 68, 2 January 1936, Page 3

NAVAL RE-ARMAMENT.

A BIG UNDERTAKING. As the country has recently been assured by Ministers of the Crown that its naval defences are to be brought up to a standard of adequacy, tho early, introduction of a substantial building programme is to be expected, says Mr Hector C. Bywater, the wellinformed naval correspondent of tho “Daily Telegraph,” writing in “The Navy.” The task confronting the Government is to make good the deficiencies in material and personnel which have accumulated as the result of 15 years of economy. It is a big undertaking, far bigger than is indicated bv tho official statistics oi relative strength published, for instance, in the annual blue book known as the “Return of Fleets.” Through no fault of their own the compilers of such documents are forced to indulge m window-dressing. Anyone who glances hastily through “Return of Meets may receive a totall yinisleadmg mi pression. He will find the British Empire credited with so many capital ships, so many cruisers, destroyers, and submarines, and turning to 1 m corresponding totals for other navies, will conclude that wo are not -in such a bad position after all. Yet a closer scrutiny would reveal the fact that an unconscionable number of the British vessels listed are obsolete, that the British naval forces at home and overseas contain, a much larger proportion of antiquated material than the fleet of any other major Bower. If, therefore, the tas kof rebuilding the British Navy is to be squarely faced, it wall involve a very heavy expenditure. On that point there should bo no illusions.