BRITISH NAVAL ESTIMATES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22344, 7 March 1938, Page 9

BRITISH NAVAL ESTIMATES

* Demands Increase By £15,642,000 SPECIAL VOTE FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION (isniis omcui wm*uts*.l RUGBY. March 4. The Navy Estimates for 1938 amount to £93,707,000. an increase of £15,642,000 over 1937. In an accompanying statement the First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr A. Duff-Cooper) says the provision asked for in the estimates; would —irrespective of any sum allocated under the Public Loans Act —reach a total of £123.707,000. which is £18,642,000 more than the total of Navy estimates for 1937. The amount which is to be provided under the Defence Loans Act is £30,000,000, compared with £27,000,000 provided in 1937. Supplementary Estimates will be presented later, for Mr Duff-Cooper says that the policy underlying the Navy Estimates is that laid down in the White Papers published on March 3, 1936, and on February’ 6, 1937. The provision now asked for in consequence of this policy includes the maintenance of the Fleet and ancillary services, the repair of deficiencies, and progress on the building of war vessels already authorised, but contains nothing on account of the new construction programme for 1938. Supplementary Estimates wall be presented later for work on the constructional programme, which is to be carried out in the forthcoming financial year. The figures for the new construction—that is, expenditure on vessels belonging to the 1937 and earlier programmes—show an increase over the new construction provision last year of £7,895,375. This is indicative of the good progress which is being made in the large building programmes of 1936 and 1937, Another large increase is found in the provision for the maintenance, repair, and manning of the Fleet, wdiich is £9,120,925 larger than the provision for these services in 1937. Among the factors contributing to this increase are the much bigger volume of dockyard work on large repairs, including the modernisation of capital ships and the rise in prices of materials.

The increase of £1,598,000 in the provision for the Fleet Air Ann, excluding the cost of aircraft for the new construction, is due partly to the maintenance of a larger firstline strength and the provision of reserves, and partly to the transfer to the Navy votes from Air votes of certain service^.

The Estimates provide for a total of 119,000 officers, seamen, boys, and Royal Marines, against 112,000 in 1937.

The notes on the Navy Estimates mention Fleet activities and describe the immediate success of the measures taken under the Nyon Agreement.

Mention is also made of naval activity in the Far East, where ship* have been employed for the protection of British interests and nationals.

Generous contributions were made by Straits Settlements, Nigeria, Barbadoes, and Fiji to the Imperial defences during 1937, thus benefiting the Navy votes.