REDUCTION IN BRITISH NAVY

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 28 January 1933, Page 11

REDUCTION IN BRITISH NAVY

A DECLARATION that there Avould be no. further unilateral reductions, of the British Navy was made by the First Lord of the Admiralty, <Sir Bolton Eyres-Monsell, in the House of Commons recently. He said the Navy was looked upon as the helper and protector of mankind all over the world. Of 36 cruisers in commission, 29 were then abroad, and • the Admiralty was finding the very greatest difficulty in answering the demand for a British cruiser AA'hich was continually being made. In the last 18 months it had been called upon to send cruisers in 18 eases of dire necessity. The strength of the British Navy would have been reduced in comparison with 1914 by the end of 1936, nnder the London Treaty, as follows: Battle-'

Plan of Decrease Under London Treaty

■ships, from 69 to 15; cruisers, from 108 to 50; destroyers, from 285 to 117; submarines, from 74 to 38'. The total tonnage of the Fleet in 1914 was 2,160,000 tons; in 1R36 it would be 1,151,000 tons. The total tonnage of the Meet of the United .States of America in 1914 was SBI,OOO tons; by the end of 1936 it would bo 1,139,000 tons. Dor Japan the figures were 522,000 (1914) and 720,000 (1936). By the end of 1936, while the Fleet of the British Empire would have been decresaed by 47 per eent., tftat of the United .States would haye been increased by 29 per cent., and that of Japan by 37 per cent. Tn the face of these facts to suggest that Britain had stood in the way of disarmament- was dishonest.