NAVY ESTIMATES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 65, 18 March 1938, Page 7

NAVY ESTIMATES.

BRITISH PROGRAMME. Total of £18,600,000 Above Last Y ear. EYES ON JAPAN. British Official Wireless. (Received 1 p.m.) RUGBY, March IT. Iu the absence of tlie First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. A. Duff-Cooper, who is suffering i'rom influenza, the Parliamentary Secretary, Mr. G. H. Shakespeare, presented in the House of Commons the Navy Estimates, totalling £126,707,000, an increase of some il 15,600.000 over last vear. Of this total. £30.000.000 is to be raised under the Defence Loans Act. Expenditure on new construction — apart from vessels in the 1038 programme, wliicli -will be the subject of a Supplementary Estimate. is £41.-">00,000, compared with £ 15.000.000 in 1014. '"As to the 193S programme,' said Mr. Shakespeai'e. "the number of ships has been announced, but the question of qualitative limits is affected by the position of Japan. Up to the 'present no information has been supplied by Japan iu reply to the recent joint inquiry by Britain, the United States and France, but it is still possible that on reconsideration she may decide to take lier place with the great naval Powers of the world and agree to give satisfactory assurances that she will abide by the London Treaty limits, even if she is not prepared to accede to the treaty." Representatives of the three Powers mentioned had been conferring as to whether, in the absence of information, they should invoke the escalator clause of the treaty which, subject to certain conditions, allows the signatory Powers to exceed the qualitative limits laid down. Plans Well Advanced. ."The question lias been referred back to the individual Governments," he said, "and we are not, therefore, in a position to make an announcement as to our intentions. But if, for example, it is considered necessary to exceed the displacement of 3.3.000 tons for capital ships, the House can rest assured that our plans for so doing are well advanced."' Air. Shakespeare entered into a detailed review of the consequences of the transfer to the Xavy of the lilfet Air Arm, and mentioned that there were at present in commission four aircraftcarriers. and that live new ones are being constructed. Moreover, all capital ships and larger cruisers were to be fitted with aircraft.

Mr. Shakespeare spoke of the attitude of the Admiralty to the question of convoys. Where trade was of great importance or density, and liable to attack by surface vessels, submarines or aircraft, the Admiralty view was that a suitably escorted convoy would provide the best means of defence. Where trade was sparse and scattered, or unlikely to be attacked by enemy forces, its safety would be sought by diversion or evasive routing, with such patrols as the circumstances warranted. There had been sitting for some time a very strong committee representative of shipping interests in the Board of Trade. The Admiralty and lie paid tribute to the manner in which the leaders of the shipping industry had co-operated in this vital matter. * The Admiralty for their part was busily engaged in building up reserves of armaments, stores and material necessary to ensure the protection of the merchant navy. "Priceless Heritage." Concluding, Mr. Shakespeare struck a personal note, asking how it c-ame that, as a Liberal and an advocate in the past of disarmament, he was presenting with enthusiasm and conviction Xavv Estimates for a vote unprecedented in peace time. There was nothing inconsistent in his attitude. "Everything I believed in is disappearing from so many countries since the war," lie said. "Here in this country we still preserve and mean to preserve our British culture and institution, and our liberty of spirit, of intellect and of speech, and the liberties enshrined in our Parliamentary system. "A strong Xavy." he continued, "is a strong guarantee that we can preserve for ourselves and tlie Empire, and pass on unimpaired, this priceless heritage."*