GERMAN [FLEET.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 70, 16 December 1907, Page 7

GERMAN [FLEET.

WHAT BRITAIN SHOULD HAVE AS A COUNTER-POISER. ■ . . TWO TO ONE'IN BATTLESHIPS.' ST TELEGRAKI —rIIESS ASSOCIATION—COPrRiaiIT. ./ ■. London, Dccomber 13. In an articlo in the " Roviow of Reviews," Mr. W. T. Stead (who lately conducted a wide campaign in favour of limitation of armamont, which Germany strongly opposed,) advocates tho need for having two British battleships to every German ono. This would involve provision in tho Naval Estimates for forty millions sterling. ' (Roc. Dec. 15, 5.4 p.m.) London, December 4. Tho "Spectator" and other papers support Mr. W. T. Stead's proposal that England should lay down two ships to every ~orio laid down by Germany.

In a lato issue of " The Standard," a naval writer deals with the effective fighting strength of tho British and German fleets, and especially with the' improvement which is involved in Germany's Bill to reduce the effective life of battleships from twcnty-fivO to twenty years. "There is more in it," says tho writer, "than a mere repetition of 'new ships for old' formula. " Tho oldost battleship on tho effectiyo German list is tho Oldenburg, launched in 1884. She is only 5200 tons, and was a small thing even when new—indeed, in thoso daye she figured as un 'armoured cruiser.' There has been nothing in the battleship way in our I'leet so weak as the Oldenburg for many, years. Germany will in effect, therefore, gain a battleship, and substitute a unit for a Ciphor, though our official way of reckoning the German fleet will indicato no change at all. *> "The noxt oldest sluds arc tho.Soigfried class. These aro rather smaller than somo of our second-class cruisers, and are, to all intents and purposes, 'armoured gunboats.' Their replacement five years sooner than according to programmo will also indicato o direct net gain. "In cruisers, the now scheme will eventually qperato even moro drastically. ' Tho Kaiserin Augusta and tho Hertha class (fivo ships) would pass as second-class protected cruieors in our Navy. In the Gorman fleet, , however, tliero aro differont distinctions. Tho Hortha aud tho new ' Dreadnought cruisers' aro alike 'big cruisers,' and consequently a vast increase of power will bo obtained altogether out of proportion to the apparent increase. Inflexibles will bo substituted for fielipses—to parallel the case from our own Navy. ■ " When Sir John Fisher initiated his fa'mous 'scran heap' policy ho, in effect, did what the Germans now propose to do, except that tho Admiralty havo now convoniontly discarded the replacement parts of tho business. Tho oldest battleships on our effective list ore the ;two Trafnlgars. Thoy aro just twenty years old this year, and they are virtually sorapped. Tho next most ancient aro tho, Royal Soveroigns, dating from 1891. They are on a special reserve list, and • aro being allowed to wear out. ■ "Excluding ships still on tho stocks or about to be there—four and three British—tho number of battleships which will havo been launched, or whicli still remain on the effective list at tho ond of the present year will bo:— GerBattlcships. British, man. Ten years old or less (MO7-1898) 31 19 Fifteon years (1897-1893 11 - -5 Twenty years (1892-1888) 11* 5 Twenty-five years (1887-1883) ... 1 1 "From which 'it will bo scon that under tho new schemo, Gormany will have to add nine battleships instead of One for replacements in tho next five years. In oruisers, tho new scheme will only bo operative to tho effect of one vossel extra in tho next five years, but in the half decade following, there will be a gain of fivo arnioured cmisors."