“SUPREME ENGINES OF WAR.”

Horowhenua Chronicle, 4 August 1921, Page 3

“SUPREME ENGINES OF WAR.”

Powers All Building Battleships.

THE BRITISH PROGRAMME,

(By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Per Press Association.) (Received This Day, 11.5 a.m.) London, August 4.

Lieut.-Colouel Aniery, in the House of Commons, submitting the Naval Estimates, which included provision for four capital ships, said the latter was not a policy of competition or challenge, but simply the replacement of obsolete ships. A flw hours of actual fighting in the late war sufficed to revolutionise ideas as to the necessary type of battleship. Other Powers were not slow to make use of the experience. There were at present under construction whole battle fleets of a type incomparably more powerful than' any afloat at the battle of Jutland. Japan would have eight such ships completed by 1925, and eight more completed by 1928, while the United ' States would have 12 of these supreme engines of war, each over 43,000 tons, completed l by 1925. The construction of four ships could not,-under the circumstances, be regarded ’as provocative. Contrariwise, the Admiralty might be open to a charge of allowing the Navy to fall below the standard of other Powers. This was a risk only justified by the general financial situation and the desirability of avoiding any step inviting competition in armament on the eve of a conference whose object was to avoid competi-' tion. (Cheers.) In the matter of design. we were not trying to steal a march on other Powers*, but only bringing ourselves up to date with modern developments. The new ships would be battle* cruisers of the Hood type, but improved in regard’ to armament and protection in the Light of our war experience.