NAVIES OF THE WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 249, 17 October 1908, Page 15

NAVIES OF THE WORLD.

INTERESTING OFFICIAL ESTIMATE OF STRENGTH. Two interesting White Papers were issued last month dealing with the compnrative strength of the fleets of tbo world at the present time, and the amount spent on huvnl armaments by the various Powers In rhe last ten yearn. The most notable fact is that while n,t present the British Navy is far ahead of its rivals,' the German iind British sums for new construction in the current financial year are almost equal. As recently as 1005 the British naval expenditure was nearly three times as much as the German. The strength of the fleets in battleships less than twenty-five years old and armoured cruisers less than twenty, together with destroyers and torpedo-boats built and building, is stated to have been as follows on April I this year:— Battle- Armoured Deships. Cruisers, stroyer^ Britain r>7 .... 34 ISM Germany 22 .... S .... S3 United States.. 25 18 25 France 21 in 75 Japan 11 11 r>S No account is taken In the above table of any ships of the Dreadnought class save the original Dreadnought. The Indomitable and her sister vessels, and the improved Dreadnought approaching completion are omitted. Similarly the German ships of the present year's programme are not Included. The fifty-seven British batllnships include vessels dating back as far a* 1884, while the oldest German ship was completed In 1801. The amount spent in new construction and armaments in the last four years is shown in the following table:— 1005-0 IDOC-7 1907-S IOOS-0 £ £ £ £ BRITAIN. 11,308,744 10,480,307 0,106,876 8.660.202 (estimated) GERMANY. 4,965,73S 3,342,400 0,285,225 8,366,43S The amount spent by the United States varies from £11,374,876 in 1005-6, to £0,753,705 in 1007-8 and £7,705,815 In 190S-0. France's expenditure in the same period has hecu consistent at about £5.500,000 annually. Germany Is the only Power whose construction and anniituent bill has increased steadily every year since 1004. The total naval expenditure of the Powers in the year IOOS-0 Is given as follows:— Britain £32,319,500 Germany 1fi,59(i,5ul I'uited States 25.833.217 France 12.7!)7,30S Japan 5,001,584 It. is explained that a sum of £3.670,000 should he deducted from the British total, as It represents expenditure for which no corresponding provision exists in the vote of foreign Towers, excepting France and Italy. Since the year 1900 Britain and Germany have together spent £120,554,900 on their fleets. The tonnare of new construction of various Towers was.— 190G-7. 1907-S. Tons. Tons. Great Britain 83,200 119.637 Germany Xi, 180 33,983 France '. IO.SiS 33,002 Russia 80.860 31.40' Italy 10,010 10.5X11 fulled States 37.283 20,033 Japan 39.870 30,-150