THE BRITISH NAVY.

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 March 1911, Page 6

THE BRITISH NAVY.

BUILDING OF BATTLESHIPS,

DISCUSSION IN THE COMMONS

[PEB PKESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT.]

LONDON, March, 21

. In the House of Commons at last sitting the debate on the Navy Estimates was continued. Lord Charles Beresford declared that in a few years Germany would have 33 capital ships and by 1917 she would probably have 08. This, lie said, was because of the fact that the Germans must continue building, owing to the mount of money they had invested in their ship yards and armament factories and on account of the large number of workman employed in them. He asserted that 31 new British cruisers were required to cope with the merchant ships which the other nations claimed the right to arm. The Rt. Hon. Mr. McKenna (First Lord of the Admiralty), asserted that there was a possibility of Lord Beresfords contentions being verified, but Britain did not admit the claims of other powers in regard to merchant ships consequently they must await events. If raei’chant ships were commissioned by others, Britain would prove fully equal to any emergency, and she had time now to consider how to act if such an emergency arose.

TWENTY DREADNOUGHTS IN LESS THAN A YEAR HENCE.

With the commissioning of the Neptune at Portsmouth and the completion of the trials of the Indefatigable at Devonport, the two Dreadnoughts of the 1910 programme —one a battleship and the other a battle-cruiser—-are (stated the Daily Chronicle of 16t i January) ready for His Majesty’s service. They complete a round dozen of warships of the biggest class. The ships of the formidable programme of 1909 are making rapid progress. The Dreadnought battleships number six, and the battle-cruiser two, and these are exclusive of two vessels of the latter class which are building for the Governments of Australia and New Zealand. The following is a statement of the condition of each:—

Colossus, battleship, 20,250 tons, building at Messrs. Scott’s yard, Greenock, launched in April last, to begin her trials about May and down for completion not later than July. Hercules, sister ship, building by Messrs Palmer, Jarrow, launched in May, to follow the Colossus in 'her trials and to be completed about the

same time. Orion, battleship, 22,680 tons, launched at Portsmouth on 20th August, shortly to bo ready for trials, and to be completed in November. Lion, battle cruiser, 26,360 tons, launched at Devonport on 6th August, to be ready for trials in the late summer, and to be completed in Nov-

ember, 1911. The following are the so-called “Contingent” ships of the same programme, for which orders were placed later:—

Princess Royal, battle cruiser, sister of the Lion, expected to be launched in April, and to be completed about March, 1912. Conqueror, battleship (Orion class). Monarch (ditto). Thunderer (ditto). The last named was launched by the Thames Iron Works Company on Ist February in a light condition, and will be completed under the new floating crane, and at the berth of Dagenham. The two others will be,launched in the spring by Messrs Armstrong at Elswick and Messrs Beardmoro at Glasgow, and all three arr to be com pleted not later than March 1912, at which date 20 dreadnoughts in all should be in commission or ready for service.

In adidtion to those are the two battle cruisers which are building for the Dominion Government.