RANDOM NOTES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 167, 11 April 1935, Page 6

RANDOM NOTES

Sidelights on Current Events (Bv Kickshaws.) It would appear from the news that aviation has become so popular that even capital has learned to fly. The stars, it is claimed, have solved the problem of perpetual youth. It sounds like one of those Mae West stories. » * ♦ • If it be true that the chess season was officially opened last Saturday, the radio authorities might well contemplate giving listeners a crawling commentary of important matches during the winter. * » * « Mrs. A. M. White, a survivor of the Indian Mutiny is reported to have died recently at Cawnpore aged .83 years. She is not the last survivor, although one by one their numbers are now being reduced rapidly. It was revealed not long ago that there were still tea survivors of the defence of Lucknow—one of the most heroic episodes of the Mutiny The oldest of this select group is Mr. C. G. Palmer who was born in 1847. This individual earned the Mutiny medal and clasp for the defence of Lucknow as “ammunition boy” to Captain Ralph Ouseley who served one of the guns. As a matter of tact there are links with more distant events than the Indian Mutiny. For example Miss Patton, who lives in Wimbledon, England, can boast that her father was a “middy” in H.M.S. Bellerophon, and saw active service in the battle of Trafalgar. This indeed is not unique, for Mr. John Charles Haswell, who died in 1932, used,also to boast iliat his father was a powder monkey m the same action. The Haswell family, one might add, lias been part and parcel'of the BritUt. Navy for the last 150 years. » » » ♦ What can one read into the recent decision on the part of France to scrap her submarine policy and make battleships the backbone of her fleet. A year ago France had 94 submarines and was building more. This would have given her many more submarines than the United States of .America, and far more than the 53 or so owned by Britain. After the war France reverted to her old love for submarines. As far back as 1920, plans were laid to bring the total strength of submarines up to approximately 100. Thirty-six of these were called “small” submarines for coast defence work. These “small” submarines were considerably larger than the UC and UB types built in Germany during the war to operate far from their bases. Obviously, then, almost the entire flotilla of submarines that France planned to develop consisted of sea-going vessels, if not, indeed, oceangoing vessels. France planned to produce submarines second to none in quality. They could undertake long voyages of several thousand miles without escort. More time at sea was occupied than by any other navy. Some of her submarines were really under-water cruisers of 3000 tons, witli a speed of 18 knots, and a range of 10,000 miles. •. » » One can only surmise to what use France intended to put her “Croiseursmarins,” as her new submarines were dubbed. If is, perhaps, not irrelevant to compare the French policy regarding submarines with that of Japan. The two policies are very similar, but it is an open secret why Japan has gone in for large long-range submarines. Since the war Japan has produced over 65 new submarines. Most of these are of fair size, larger in fact than most submarines of the war period. They range up to nearly 2000 tons, with speeds of 21 knots. They have a cruising range of no less than 16.000 miles. In fact, according to one official text book, they are capable of crossing the Pacific and returning without refuelling. America, one might add, has already developed a very similar type of submarine for long-distance work, capable of laying mines. In addition to the interest that the large powers have taken in submarines since the war, an outstanding feature has been the development of submarine fleets by secondary maritime nations. The number of submarines in existence is now very much larger than the total at any previous period except 1918.

The fact about nations is that they display two signs of uneasiness regarding the probability of war. One sign is a battleship complex. Britain had this ’ complex before tlie war. as also had Germany. Submarines can be built comparatively quickly compared with battleships. It takes up to two years to build a large battleship. During the war Germany turned out submarines on a scale similar to that of repetition work (n a cheap car factory. France, presumably, is looking ahead a couple of years in her decision not to let the submarine complex make her forget to build battleships. The other sign of uneasiness is when a nation starts to purchase wool. Japan made huge purchases of wool before her campaign in Manchuria. Experts in wool knew at once what was in the air. Germany is now making large purchases of wool, or intends to do so. There may not be any connection between battleships and wool. Indeed, diplomats would be the last to find any such connection. Nevertheless, there are the facts. By keeping a weather eye on the battleship complex, and another on the wool market, many a shrewd individual has, before now, been able to anticipate the future.

Some idea of the complete change caused by the recent decision to make eapital ships the backbone of the ■ French Navy may be had by comparing France’s present navy with that of other days. In round numbers France had 26 capital ships and 54 submarines in 1914. In 1934 she had nine eapital ships and 91 submarines. She had reduced her cruisers from 34 to 15 in the same period It will be seen that France after the war became submarine con scions in no uncertain manner. The United States of America did thU same. It may have been the fact that economy dictated the immediate post-war period of naval building. Capital ships cost a lot of money, and those built in say 1920 would have lost their first blush of youth by the time another war was anticipated. The Hood, for example, cost £12,000,000. and some experts declare that she is getting out of date. In Nelson’s day a vessel like the Victory cost a mere £lOO 000. There came a period after the war when th” value of these costly craft was depreciated by development,in submarine construction. mine laying, and torpedo launching air craft. The pendulum, it would seem, has now started its swing the other way.