TAKING NO CHANCES.

Feilding Star, Volume IV, Issue 1131, 11 March 1910, Page 3

TAKING NO CHANCES.

PRESERVING THE STANDARD OF NAVAL POWER. j ESTIMATES, £50,003,700. J BY . ELEOTBIO TELEGKAPU —COPYBIGUT. ! PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. ' London, Alarch 10. In the House of Commons Mr friendly statement by the German Government ivould influence the naval estimates in the direction of retrenchment I The Hon. R. Mcl.eima, First Lord of the Admiralty, replied that tho ! Government recipocated Germany's friendliness, hut the naval estimates were not based on the .-..sumption tnt other nations ■ment to be unfriendly. They were framed to preserve our standard of naval power. He added that no utterances of the German llinisters indicated their intention to modify the naval expenditure. THE NAVAL ESTIMATES. The Naval Estimates were intro- i duced. They iprovide for a total of I £-0,003,700. The personnel of the ' navy is increased to 131,000; neiv con- ' struction is to cost £13,279 839 ' whereof £11,850,790 is to he spent on j vessels alreaib- under construction find the balance used for beginning ' (i-ork on the new programme, which ' isi composed of five large armoured j ships, five protected cruisers, twenty j destroyers, and a number of sub- ' marines, which will cost three- quar- " ters of a_ million. This is independent • of the four contingent battleships ' and the New Zealand and Autraliar i vessels, tenders for which are now ' ■being considered. During the year five battleships, two torpedoers, and ! - sixteen .submarines have been com- ' I pleted and there will be under con- i " . struction on April Ist seven battle- ' j ships, three armoured cruisers two ! unamoured cruisers, and two floating ! docks capable of taking the biggest j battleships, the docks to he complet- ' , ed by 1911 and stationed at Mcd way ■ ' and Portsmouth. " j Mr McKenna stated that tho aero- ' nautical branch is conducting import- ' ant experiments, and that airships ; will be completed for trials in the ' summer. He added that a very satis- ' factory report had been received con- ' cerimig the first batch of Australian : and New Zealand ratings trained in ! England. , Received, March 11 8.20 a.m. j j — ... London, March io. j c the limes says: -'The fact that » c no echoes have been heard this year ! between the Admiralty and the Cab- ! 3 met indicates that the Cabinet has '■ without cavil. The country will there- * tore be slow to take exception to the ! programme." f The Chronacle says: "Tho naval ■ Estimates have been framed in an '. ~ extravagant and alarmist spirit It ' is necessary to remember that as ■ ships wear out, Britain's superiority \ ■g h }f o-dreadnoughts has to dimin- ' .The Daily News says: '-'Both Britam and Germany are witnessino- a fierce struggle on the .part of tho r ricJi to .make the poor pay the price ot this insane. Competition which ■leads to creation of irritation, .hate- . red, and craven fears." A 'Received, March 11 10.20. a.m. ~,, , London, March 10." the naval programme includes the . ° department and the new Navy War f establishing of a mobilisation depart- h ment and the neiv Navy War Comi. — T . . Berlin, March 10. Ihe Kaiser, accompanied by Prince Henry several admirals, inspected the Heliogoland, which has started on a cruise w.ith captains of industry - and finance aboard. _