FOREIGN NAVIES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 521, 31 May 1909, Page 5

FOREIGN NAVIES.

THE.UNITED STATES ESTIMATES. ' TWO DREADNOUGHTS, (ni TniGEArn—pekss association—combioht.) Now York, May 28. The estimates of the United States Secretary of tho'Navy (Mr. G. Von L. Moyer) for 1909-10 total twenty-five millions sterling. Provision is mado for the building of two more battleships of the Dreadnought class. NAVY BURDENS COMPARED. I The United States Navy Estimatos for 1909-10 ' total about tho same as tho original estimatos for 1908-09; that is, over ,£25,CKH1,000. But lost year opposition in Congress caused tho total to 1)0 reduced to. .£21,378,929, President Roosevelt's four-Dreadnought programmo being reduced to two; while, on the other hand, tho four submarines originally suggested wero increased to eight. In this year s Estimates tho Secretary appears to bo content with, two Dreadnoughts, despito tho eloquent appeals of President Roosevelt last year. The total Estimates as given in the cablegram fall short of what the British Admiralty recently anbut the following figures, given ont by \ tho First Lord (Mr. M Konna) last February, have an interest as showing this year's navy budgets in a comparative if approximate manner. Tho First Lord gave the following ostimates of foreign navy programmes for the financial year 1909-10: , Now Total i Construction. Expenditure, Gormony : ,010,751 ,MG .£19,592,532 'France .£5,700,176 ,£13,353,828 United States .... £10,015,101 £27,876,680 Russia ;. *51,822,237 410,028,831BETWIXT EARTH AND SEA. FRANCE'S UNLUCKY DREADNOUGHT. , Paris, May 28. The failure of tho launch of tho battloship Danton, 18,300 tons, has cost tho French Government £20,000. Tho vessel is etill stuck fast.