SEA POWER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 738, 10 February 1910, Page 5

SEA POWER.

AN EXTENSIVE PROGRAMMEFOR ■FRANCE. BATTLE FLEET AND AGE LIMIT. By Tclegrnph-Proßs Association—Copyright ' •'■■ > ParlSi February:s. The French Cabinet has approved the Navy Bill,'which provides that'the battle fleet in homo waters shall consist of'the following vessels:— , ~ ■■■'■ Battleships'.. ~'. :..;........ ; ; 28 ; Cruisers ;„.;. 10 Destroyers' :'. ..■........;.;.... 52.'. , ■ The submarine defence fleet. will comprise 04 submarines. Four mine-laying vessels', will shortly, be Commenced, and six modern battleships will be completed by ipis. ;v ■■/;■•;: .■.;',.. /■■■■-.■ Th'e age of battleships on active service has been fixed at-twenty-five years, of cruisers twenty years, and destroyers and submarines seventeen years. .

TURKEY'S FLEET. ANOTHER BRITISH ADMIRAL ASKED .'. :-;:• /-. ;'.'For;:^-': -■:/. ,/';.' ".'..'' (Rec. February 9, 9.45 p.m.);'' ■■: \.' .London,': February 9.,.; ' Turkey has appealed to Britain for the services of an admiral to succeed .Rear- ' Admiral Sir D.'A; Gamble'(who was appointed, in ,1908 to reorganise the Turkish Navy,.; and who, after attaining ..much success, has-resigned owing to: ill-health); ■';;..'. AN "ORGANIC NAVY LAW.", j'No'doiibt, owing':to financial considerations, the "organic.navy '■ law", which the French Cabinet has adopted is something considerably less ;: than what the. Navy Council.recommended in June. '.The Cou'n-. oil'. recommended . that. the /battleships forming the'fighting: line-of the: French. Navy should,number 45...1t recommended also that the effective life of \ a battleship should: be regarded 'asi twenty years (the same age-limit' as. has. been [ adopted iin Germany), whereas., the: French Cabinet, now. proposes twehty-tve years. : ". But the Navy Council's scheme' was .estimated ,to cost £120,000,000, spread over-a decade. , ■!: Argiimeiits for Fixed Programme. , .-.;:;.■.;.• .'Perhaps tho outstanding feature' of jthe French Cabinet's action is, the;adoption of an organic navy law after tho maunev of Germany. .It has been frequently urged that Britain should also follow Ger-: manyls example, by adopting a.fixed pro-' gramme that will proceed automatically, independent of, party,',, thus 'distributing the expenditure normally..arid■■ propor-; tionately over a.' fixed- period;;, : Privafe manufacturers would then .know ; *.j what i 3 ahead. of them, '.and; having, a regular flow of orders, would;-.be-"able.•■"toT-'main'-' tain plant and'men .iii'the:required.car .pacify; _ thus avoiding .those';deficiencies in particular departments'thaCharidicap rapid'construction.as comparirf'with'-.Ger-'many'.'"-,-''.;-.', '; ' 4 '-; :;; , ; "^'c;,.v'/ ! - : . : ' ; v :;^:v!- V,v .To those -who speak abontthe;high rate of .obsolescence and : . the; danger: of .building ahead, the reply,made, by, the.-'fixed-' programme; advocates ,is that, with a reg-. ular,' yearly, output 6f ! iiew ships; improve-': , ments; can ■ he' embodied ".from: ; time ■ to' time; -and that: ..the .march ; of 'obsoles-. cenco would leave less victims in its wake than'.would be the-case: if a of under-building . were'; followed—as' it ■ probably,-:would-, be—by 'panic-building, resulting -in. the ;• hasty -over-production of too many "ships of. one. type.- ;: "■■■,'.■■•'•■'■ " : • The, sameSquestion" is""raised, "from ; the i opposite' stahdpout,i by-, the: remarks," cabled on. January 27,- : of. Sir.'Edward. Grey, who claimed: that ;the.'' Liberals, .by delay in construction,-were'how getting, the advantage.of;the latest.improve-, ments in. warships; ■;":'\; ' ?"' :•'/•" '-•-.; '■' i : .' : ''. Germany's Example.:; " -~. .'J; 'v :. The ex-Minister-for;Marine;in M.,Picard,". supported: a -fixed; programme. He notes ;that the proposal-'idr.'aßW'b'r? ganiC-navy ; -law , ': was ..moo ted'ini France as far to: the ;present'," he observes; .the, rapid development of the art of. naval .'corifitriiction. land .the irhV pjovementiin.material :had' seemed '.effec-' tive: arguments ■ hsainst:' the\ ; adoption■.; of • proposals of 'this kind; , ,,' He. adds:— ,:'.:■' "But, the, ■ example -, of,;- Germany 'shows: that these obstacles': are' not'irisurmbunt--able, provided i: that: the text r. of: the ! : law is given ,aicertainjelastioityi.-and"that the principle of , the:;:p6ssibility,';ofv subso.quoht amendments :isv'accepted 'in advahce." ' ".-'•.' " ; ' ; ;'I>; 'iL'i'%-'- \ ':V ■■■■■■

.'... 11, Picard anticipated the present: Bill. when-he stated) that, the French Govern- , ment is. ''engaged; in; framing(:a Bill: in , this sense, the. first'.part'of .-which" haa already.' been.'"submitted to; .'the V; Navy :Council." The. opinion:is : ,expressed"by M. Pioard:,that;-- if '.this.-experiment.; is given a_ serious trial,', arid!sudceeds,:..the navy will be; preserved .from .'regrettable ' fluctuations,'. and :■ will \have its'existence. ..arid .its -future' more. , -.firmly .assured."-' '.S

-'.'■ The six battleships :whieh are set domi .' for ■ completion : by: 1915 -'are: no •■' doubt ■ the six Tantons, 0M8,300 tons, speed. 22 knotsj' oarrying : four. l l2-inch ~'gun's>and ' twelve 9.4-inch guns;..probable weight;.of. bi-oad-. side,';'67BO tons'.(against ':. ; the' ; : -briginal .Dreadnought's 6800, tons, /which'jsicon; :siderably,: increased; in':' her'.' laterl'l'-snis. .V'; ■;','■;?; ;:, . ; :';':;-' : . ; ; v^V-