ENGLAND'S NAVAL POWER.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 41, 17 February 1900, Page 1 (Supplement)

ENGLAND'S NAVAL POWER.

A COMPARISON WITH FRANCE.

I asked M. Lockroy (writes M. Huret in "Le Figaro") what was the condition of the French navy compared with the English. I knew, like the rest of the world, that ours"'was inferior, but I wanted to know to what degree. M. Lockroy said to me, "The English are more than twice as strong as we. They have nearly six hundred vessels of war of every tonnage and every description, to which must be added three or four hundred merchant steamers, ready to be armed in war time. They by themselves can (oppose France and the Triple Alliance. Not only is the number of their vessels formidable compared with that of our fleet, and their personnel more numerous, but their organization is incontestably superior to that of all the fleets in the world. 1 do not speak of the valour of the French personnel, which yields in nothing to the English, rather the reverse." But can the valour, even the heroism, of our officers and men suffice in the face of numbers and organization? Everywhere, in every sea, our fleet finds itself opposed ;to an English fleet, two or three times as large, and commanded by young officers;

IN EVERY SEA THE ENGLISH HAVE THEIR BASES OF .. OPERATION—

that is to say, their ports for revictualling, where they can take tip coal, repair damages, and find provisions and ammunition,." I interrupt for the sake of saying- "Naturally. But we have them, too, I suppose." M. Lockroy raised his arms in the air and said with a sad smile, "Alas, no! We have nothing, or scarcely anything, in comparison. In the Mediterranean, except Toulon, we have nothing of any value. And think what , would become of a crippled fleet, after a battle on the coasts of Algeria, for example, forced, in order to repair its damages and reprovision itself, to cross the breadth of the Mediterranean at the risk 'of being blown up! The English, on the contrary, have Gibraltar, on one side, and Malta on the other. We could have something in Corsica, and Bizerta in Tunisia. But there is ■ ;.■'.

NOT A SINGLE HARBOUR IN A STATE OF DEFENCE

in Corsica, and Bizerta has but twentyfour guns. These twenty-four guns could fire six rounds a minute against the two or three lmndi'ed roundsVwith which the English fleet could reply if it chose. I know well that it would not try, for the narrow entrance at Bizerta is like that at Santiago; once their fleet had got in,- it would be possible to block it by sinking one or two old vessels. But this is equally true against us! If our fleet took refuge there, the English could block us up and destroy us at their leisure.

.. . .To-day," insisted M. Lockroy, with animation, "to have a fleet is nothing! It is a mere ornament! What is wanted are bases for this fleet—that is to say, harbours dotted about the coasts of the whole world.

A FLEET AVITHOUT BASES is, as Admiral Vallon said, like a goat tied to a stake. The cord which holds it may be more or less long, but it is tied all the same. ( It is necessary for it to turn round its depot of coal, without risking itself far off, for woe betide the fleet that is separated from its base by the enemy. . .•. And more than that, in the French military ports it was the same thing, sir. There was not even a garrison, and the arsenals were insufficiently provisioned; there were no lighters, no tugs, no quick-firing pieces! At Brest, out of 250 guns, scarcely 52 were in a condition to be fired." A little frightened by this sombre picture, so forcibly accurate, of our situation, I thought of the cries of those who daily wish to

•"EAT UP THE ENGLISH," and I could not help saying-, "Whose fault is it?" "No one's—every one's. It is the fault of the Government, which has not asked for the money necessary to put us in a state to fight; it is the fault of Parliament, which has not even'cared or has turned a deaf ear to warnings. It is the fault of the navy itself, of its spirit of routine. But there are no responsibilities —who is one to blame?" I asked, "But for the time being what advice do you give to those who each clay provoke England, excite her, attack and insult the Queen and her Ministers?" M. Lockroy, with trembling hands, made a gesture of pacification and of silence, and said: "Let them keep calm; —keep calm —and b© silent."