IN EVENT OF WAR.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 47, 25 February 1911, Page 5

IN EVENT OF WAR.

GUARDIANSHIP OF THE MEDITERRANEAN. I THE FRENCH FLEET. By Telegraph.— Press Association. -Copytlgbk, 1 PARIS, 24th February. Apropos of the discussion whether Great Britain, in the event of war, should arrange for France to guard the Mediterranean, Admiral Sir E. R. Fremantle, interviewed by La Matin, declared that if her present programme was realised, France would be able, in 1920, to hold her own against the Austro-Hun-garian and Italian fleets combined. xidmiral Sir Cyprian Bridge was also interviewed, and 6u!ogised the French officers and men. Ke added that the British Navy was at present equal to the German, Austro-Hungarian, and Italian Navies combined. ["Refaisons uno Marine" — "Let us re« make our Navy"— is the burden of an article by Vice-Admiral Besson in the Petit Journal urging the importance of eea-power to France in the event— which he believes to be inevitable — of an AngloGerman war. "The struggle on our eastern frontier is not everything in a war with Germany," says the admiral ; "the solution of our differences will be chiefly maritime. France, which possesses the finest Colonial Empire in the world after Britain, delivers it into the hands of whoever likes to take it by the decrease in her naval strength. We have wasted vast suras of money for the repair and maintenance of vessels without any fighting value." The admiral goes on to urge the building of new battleships, pointing to Germany, who, when Britain "was at the zenith of her might." dared "to think of, ravishing from Britain the empire of the seas in order to protect her inordinately develop industries and her commerce- and subjects scattered throughout the world. A conflict between thesa two colossi is inevitable. We shall be dragged in, and Germany reckons on making us pay the cost of the war. In 1914 the British and German Navies will be practically equal, apart from a perhaps unrealisable effort. Britain has had to renounce the two-Power standard. In 1914 the French naval strength will be a quarter of the German. In 1918 we shall be weaker than Austria and Italy united, and we shall lose the mastery of the Mediterranean, which is the very key-stone of our existence.'"]

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