NAVY OF EMPIRE.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 172, 21 July 1921, Page 5

NAVY OF EMPIRE.

LESSONS OF THE WAR. DISCUSSED BY CONFERENCE. SETTLING THE SHARES. (By Ciilrlc— Tress Association.—Copyright.) (Received 10.-tt a.m.) LONDON. .Tuly 20. The naval question discussion was continued before the Imperial Conference to-day, the First Lord of the Admiralty ; and the First .Sea Lord being present. . The position was explained frankly and ■ clearly, the Imperial delegates showing I the relative strength of the British and foreign navies before the war and at present. The lessons of the war were ! reviewed in conjunction with the experience of centuries. One statement showed that Japan owns eleven ships and America eight, each far more powerful . than anything possessed by the Empire iin the Pacific. The Admiralty having disclosed ils inmost secrets, developments, and prospects, responsibility is . thrown on the Conference to decide a ' scheme which will achieve the best re- . suits for the whole Empire. "What are you going lo do about it?" was the Admiralty's way of launching the final debate. The efforts of the Conference were concent rated at devising a scheme of Empire defence acceptable on general | principles to till delegates who will take 1 it. for submission to the approval of their Parliaments' ratification. A de- . tailed examination of the accepted | scheme will be nut before each Dominlion, Cabinet showing the total cost and the proposed shares allotted by tbe Conference. Cabinet will present the Par- , liumcnts, including the British, with delails which are not regarded as confidential, end will nermit full discussion. One proposal was that the additional cost shall conic nut of the (Jerman reparalions, but others pointed out that the Dominions and Britain Mould jia.v just the same in the long run. Mr. Mcighen wished to rely on the League of Nations and the Monroe Doctrine, with a navy constituted as at present j Mr. Hughes pointed out that the Dominions paid nothing towards the Navy now. The Monroe Doctrine of the League of Nations did not provide sufficient guarantees at present. If the Dominions sheltered under the Navy they should be prepared to accept a share of the cost. . Genera] Smuts said that the position of his country was most difficult. Like Canada, which contained a large leaven of French, South Africa was not a homogeneous nation. Mr. Hughes jokingly remarked that the same might be said of Australia and the Sinn Fein. He was prepared to swap two Sinn Feiners for one Dutchman. A position has not been reached when one can say whether the approved scheme will cost Australia more or less than the Henderson programme. Once the larger plan is decided tentatively, the I Pacific proposals wil be dealt with in detail.. It must clearly be understood that land defence was not mentioned at all to-day. Mr. Lloyd George was intensely angry when die called for figures from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which were presented with arguments. He (lung the document on the table and said that it was useless, declaring that they wanted facts, and the delegates would evolve their own views from them.— (A. and N.Z. Cable.) NEW PROGRAMME OPPOSED LONDON, duly 20. The '"Daily Express" understands that a strong Ministerial group is endeavouring to hamper the building of four new : naval ships proposed in this year's Esti- ! mates, and that Admiral Beatty and | Mr. Winston Churchill are in a minority. j They favour the immediate construction of the warships, and remind the Govern- ,'■ ment that if the ships are not built the ! British Navy will sink to third place I among the world Powers by the end of ; 1924.' | At present the officially accepted stanj durd of British sea strength is equality ; with the strongest naval Power. Britain : has thus abandoned the two-power stan- ; dard, which she held for more than 00 i years.— (A. and N.Z. Cable.) The present strength of the great navies is as follows: — BRITISH NAVY. One battleship (Dreadnought type) of 18,(300 tons. Two battleships (Dreadnought type) of 19,250 tons. One battleship (Dreadnought type) of ! 10,900 tons. i Two battleships (Dreadnought type) of I 20,000 tons. , Four battleships (Dreadnought type) of 22,500 tons. Four battleships (Dreadnought type) of 23,000 tons. Four battleships (Dreadnought type) of 25,000 tons. Five battleships (Dreadnought type) of 25,700 tons. Five battleships (Dreadnought type) of 27.500 tons. One battleship (Dreadnought type) of 28,000 tons. Two battle-cruisers of 20,350 tons. Two battle-cruisers og 20,500 tons. One battle-cruiser of 28,500 tons. One battle-cruiser of -11,200 tons. i 1 U.S. NAVY. ' Six battleships (pre-Dreadnought type) | of 10,000 tons each. I Two battleships (Dreadnought type) of 10,000 tons each. (Two battleships (Dreadnought type) of 20,000 tons each. ' Two battleships (Dreadnought type) of _1,52.5 tons each. Two battleships (Dreadnought type) of 26,000 tons each. Two battleships (Dreadnought type) of 27,000 tons each. Two battleships (Dreadnought type) of 1 27,500 tons citeh. Two battleships (Dreadnought type) of 31,400 tons each. Three battleships (Dreadnought type) of 32.000 tons each. Two battleships I Dreannought type) of 32,300 tons each. BUILDTNO PROGRAMME OF 1916. Six battleships (Dreadnought type) of 43,000 tons each. Six battle-cruisers of 35,300 tons each. Four battleships (Dreadnought type) of ' j 32,000 tons each. '.'] JAPAN'S NAVY. (Dreadnoughts.) One vessel of 20.800 tons. Four vessels of 27,500 tons each. Four vessels of 30,000 tons each. Four vessels of 32.000 tons each. . (Pre-Dreadnoughts.) • . Eleven vessels ranging from 12,000 tons to 19.500 tons each.