IMPERIAL NAVY ESTIMATES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2016, 25 March 1914, Page 3

IMPERIAL NAVY ESTIMATES.

—.— t. ■■ ■ ..- RECORD FIGURES., ISSUES AT STAKE, The fact that the British Xavnl Estimates for the ensuing year amount to no less than ICol/mUSM— five millions more than last year's total—sets at rest the discussion as to whether they wore likely to exceed the fifty million limit. llns- stupendous total foocorcliiifj to «u article in die "Sydirey Jlorning Herald ') is caused more by an adherence to programmes already '(aid down than ?}• any new .departure of policy involving additional construction, A /SO per cent. propoiirJeraiice in Dreadnought ships over tho German fleet in home waters, and "a powerful flaot for foreign service in the Mediterranean) and, if necessary, for tho defence of the oversea dominions *f the Crown, either in the Atlantic .oi- the Pacific"—these are the principal features of the 'general policy of the Imperial Government. According to the programme new in process of execution) the following Dreadnoughts will be completed ju the years named by Great Britain and GerlaaHy respectively :■"- . Margin • ever Ji»y. Britain. Germany, 50 p.c. . ISH 31 a ij 1915 36 23 2 1918 4.1. • Si 2 M! 7 45 28 3 IMS 49 30 4 1?13 m m 4 1919 52 33 3 " W2O ~. 5G 35 4, Pauses of the Ificfease. Quite- apart from any question of wow construction, the increases in tho jm'gsent estimates- arise from four main ■ causes. . First, arrears in shipbuilding and aviatiou and oil storage arfe being overtaken, : Second; the new ships bufldntg are- ! more costly tiictii any wtiieli iiaye Jiithefto been built, although in this respect Great Britain is suffering less than other countries, jrfiich are constructing a larger-type of vessel. , Wrd, prices of all shipbuilding nm•teriaJs and naval equipment have advanced.- This applies to. almost everything which tho Mmiru-lty has.to Iray. .Fourth, the ntaiiber of officers and men--lifts been- inevitably' 'increased with tlio inercaeb in the number and si?,!) <J t-lio vessels betoHgmg to the" Boyal Navy. The personnel In the Jfyvy" is novr 146,000. a record figure, and is to Bβ still further augmented b.v 5000. Concessions., of increased-fay have- been mada to men g.f tho lower deck.; to the whole body of warrant' officers, and to certain grades of commissioHod offieers. The increase of pay, which has already, been ' samjtkmgrt bj Padiainent, wfi{ ■thrown a burden of about half it million pounds on- the tie* estimates, and, in addition, hn}irovon-ient-S have bectt outdo in the -conditions' of employment' in the IvO-yal Dockyai-dS; where about '43i0Q0 officials and workmen are engaged permanently'. .

Nα Departure in Policy,

J The Estimates:indieato tbat.thero has I been no substantial depart are , from the j shipbuilding programme aimeuireed by I the First kord oi tho Admiralty in' March, 19.12. The policy then laiddown provided for an aggregate of 25 capital . ships for tho.sis years. 1912,-13 to 191718, To this total.iivq.ships were .%: bo, added..for vessel .laid , : down l>y. Gerfaanjv Mr. t!|jtirchjll add- , ed fliat', additioiia-l to tliese . vessels' Would be; any; ships whieh, might fliuve,' lobp built ia cwisequeiice of new na.-. val developments iii.tfco.llficu'terrahean,. 1 and also the. sWp presented by the Fed- ■ eftited Malay Stot.es and the three Canaitoii ships,, thai tseins the specific coil- j di-.tiQij on. whkh they . were.'given and accepted, "These,", said tlje First Lord , in his statement -(which , was aia-de in tile ..preseiKe of his colleagues in the Cabinet, including the Prime Minister and the Cliaiice-Ilof at- tiie Bsohequer), "are the bases ot a naval policy which, coolly Mid inflexibly pur-s-tred d-tiriiii; the jiext few years, will, we believe, place our country and , the British Ewwro beyond- the reach of purely naval pressure, and need not at any stage tti its execution Ire fomented into a cause rei with our Gerina-a neighbours."

The Canadian Ships.

11l view of tho ■discus-sioii in connection wit-n the 'three ships originally pro- , posed to be presented ■ by Canada, and ttie fact that tliey are now esetaded Iron? the cafctilatioHs upran wjiioh tlio IH-oseiit- naval Estimatos a.re based, it frill bo of irttercst to recall the- refereucesiinade last year by Mr. Chnrehill on tliasnbjeec, for tie-expeHditw-o -utrtr proposed vory largely depends uvioii the pohey then foreshadowed. < When the J'itfst.Lflfd.of % Admiralty-espy nod to the Ho-iiso of CoijiHions what niarcitt of str-en-gth would bo available in future years, he emphasised the import* ant part whkh flio three -Canadian sftips pla.yed hi the Estimates wfejch he ? making «f .the future requirements or the Ke-val Navy hi maintaining \m!!?n\ ia,r i BFltls l' $»p*eihacy on the sea. iriint,' he said (referring to ifto i9ro» Ktamme which ho submitted) '% quite saffioient for tho year 101S, whh which' wo are at present dealing; but- liaviiig regard to the respong'lnlfties of tire British Empire, both, ffi the Paeifie'aitdhi the Mediterranean', niid Iwviftg re--gard in , jiartieutor to the new' develop-, ffient of fetees in the Stediteraljeaii, it is clear that a margin &f ..strensft : available for tho whole wld serviceof the British Empire will «nt be suffix cent after the Mrst quarter of 1913 w=.. less further steps are taken either, b> ' thft Dorniniotis or by From , this point of view the reaiity-'nf tim need of tho tlji-ee Cittiadiaii vc«sele can well be itipprceiated." ; ABsplUfe Requirements. t In tlio course- of the debate; on the Estimates on March 31 last year, Mr. Umrdrill returned in wen more-' di>h'nit« m-i-igua-ge to the-jmportanco of tho Can«-! dian vessels in armngiiig in future pmKrantmes. "It is nocessary," he said, ■' ''to nialco it dear that, tio tiireo vessels 1 now under discwssio-ii in Caiiada aro absolutely required from WJ6 for Hie woj'ld-witl..e defence erf tko British Empire, apart altogether from tho needs" 0.-f Great (Britain in home waters; that Ihey will play' a real part in. the defonoe of the Empire; and that, if they fail, a g&p will be opened, to &[\ whicii further sacrifices will have- ttt bo roadc without. undee clelav b.v others."

The undertaking "was given to the Canadian Gavcrnment whew tho offer of tho shiiis was lis'st mads , tJmt, "whatever iiisi-.y be the. decision of Canada at . the "present juncture, Great Britain will not; iti any etrfctunstaßces, fail in her tlutv tn .tho Ovwspa. Dominions oi tlie Crown.". Mr, -Borden ivas informed that I'tliio Admiralty arc assured that His Majcsty'seGovcrniiieut will not. hesitate to ask the- House of Commons for whntevor provision tiie cireunsstauces of each'year may require." Those stutoniciits will doubtless brused by the critics of the Gomnmcnt's proposals, asitlsi? Mr. ChureiiiU's refpa--■pnefts to the. nwd for incikiilff more adefruato p-rovis-i-on for tho naval defence of Hie EmpiYc in Uw; 'Mediterranean and tire Pacific. Indeed, the oomlng ensi' troYfrrsics will probably ttmi on the question whether _ availablu outside tjin provision in the JCorth Sp>i arc requisite for wliat Mr. Cliurciiill mVfit] th<i "whole world defence of the British Empire.'' '