FRANTIC EUROPE.

Auckland Star, Issue 154, 2 July 1934, Page 7

FRANTIC EUROPE.

REBUILDING NAVIES. Britain, France, Germany and Italy. QUICK-FIRING BRITISH GUNS. iDnlted P.A.—Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Received 11 a.m.) LONDON, July 1. With Britain's newly-announced plans for increased naval strength, the French and Italian decisions to build 20,000-ton cruisers, and Germany's launching of her third "pocket battleship" (10,000 tons), a naval race appears to be starting in Europe. Mr. Hector C. Bywater, naval correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph," says that Britain's new battleships to be laid down in 1937 will differ from all fighting ships afloat. They will have guns which will fire nearly twice as fast as at present. Ships mounting loin guns will be armoured or otherwise protected by a novel plan claimed to be able to defy any form of rir attack. Practically the whole of the' super-structure is bombproof. From Paris it is stated that the Chamber of Deputies, by 425 votes to 120, authorised the laying down before the end of this year of a 26,000ton battleship, a destroyer and one firstclass and one second-class submarine. This is the 1934 section of the French naval programme. , M. Pietri, Minister of Marine, and other speakers, emphasised that the battleship was not a reply to the new Italian battleship but to Germany's "pocket" battleships, of which she would have four in 1937, giving her definite superiority over France. France's new construction was 30,000 tons less than her average building, said M. Pietri, whereas other nations were speeding up. France's tonnage was 50 per cent higher in 1914 than it is now and naval expenditure at present was lower. France's position made a strong navy essential. Heralded by cheers from thousands of people, Germany's third "pocket" battleship, costing £4,000,000, was launched at Willielmsliaven yesterday. Although the vessel conforms to the Versailles Treaty limitations it is reported that it could destroy much larger warships. It was christened "Graf Spec," by the daughter of Admiral von Spee. Admiral Raider, Chief of the German Naval Staff, revealed the fact that President Hindenburg had decreed that the vessel should be so named in memory of the victor of Coronel. He paid a tribute to Admiral von Spee's heroism and chivalry and bade him and his crew ever to remember the legacy of the Falklands and be always defenders of the Fatherland's greatness.