WASTED MILLIONS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 111, 12 May 1909, Page 10

WASTED MILLIONS.

MYSTERIES OF THE FRENCH ADMIRALTY. The mismanagement of the French Navy and the negligence which has resulted in the wasting of millions of money formed the subject of an acrimonious debate in the Chamber of Deputies to-day {telegraphed the- Daily Mail's London correspondent on 25th Maich). Interest was heightened by the fact that M. Delcasse. formerly Minister of Foreign Affaire, made one of his rare appearances in the political arena In introducing the discussion by moving that a_ commission be appointed to enquire into the present situation of the navy, he vigorously attacked M. Thorneon, ex-Minister of Marino. The Government, said M. Delcasse, had brought forward a firs>t demand for naval credits amounting- to £1,200,000, of the total of £7,720,000 which the Minister of Marine at first declared indispensable. Examination of the naval balance-sheet revealed that, the millions which the Chamber ■was übked to vote were destined to replace the credits voted regularly every year,, which meant that the sum of £3,000,000 was missing. "Where has it gone?" asked M Delcasse. "What has the Minister done with the money voted regu larly during the past seven or eight years?" "Of the £12,000,000 or £13,000,000 voted for the Navy every year,"' he declared, "the Minister has through sheer indolence loft unused nearly one and three-quarter million pounds." * In his opinion the naval administration would have done better to leave untouched four, or better still, six millions. It would have been all profit for the nation, for nothing was done for the fleet. M. Delcasse urged that it was the duty of tho Chamber to control the employment of the new credits for which they were asked. .They ought to be told why one of two twin ships cost £1,600,000 and the othei £2,200,000. The Chamber ought also to know why "munitions of war were delivered and accepted without being tested, and mhy defective materrti was introduced everywhere." "While other nations are advancing," ho said, "France is marking time. In a few years Germany will be a very great naval Power. Where will Fi arco be? An army, even if it is the firdt in the world, is not sufficient. The truth is that France must have a fleet and propare for the future if she wishes to prevent her rivals obtaining an advance that I will mean her annihilation." | M Thomson, in his reply, contended that M. Delcasse'e criticism was unjustified. What was -much more important, he said, was that of twenty-five battleships, eight would this year become obsolete, and they had only six ships to replace them in 1909 and 1910. No provision had been inado for the future, and if they" continued aa they were doing they would have no fioet at all in ten years' • time.

The Budget Committee has unanimously decided to withhold its approval of the cjemand for £1,200,000 for the fleet until it is "aesured that tho money will be used in the best interests of the national defence," which means that the committee is in _ favour of the apporntment of tho commission a6ked for by M. Delcasae.