STRONGER NAVY

Hokitika Guardian, 10 November 1936, Page 2

STRONGER NAVY

BUILDING IN BRITAIN

BUSIEST DAYS SINCE WAR

LONDON, October 29

At no time since the war, states Mr Hector C. Bywater in the Daily Telegraph, has there been so much activity in the Naval Construction Department at the Admiralty or in the dockyards, naval armament centres, and private establishments working on Admiralty contracts. The slogan is “Full speed ahead.” Already it has been found possible to reduce the normal period for building and outfitting warships' of every class, in some cases by as much as six months.. Careful organisation and the ruthless cutting of reef tape are achieving wonders. So far, at any rate, the supply of skilled labour is ' adequate, but means to augment it may have to be considered if, as is not impossible, the current building programme has to be largely expanded. There are numerous indications that Great Britain’s firm resolve to restore her Navy to full strength is being vigorously implemented. The present state of the 1936 building programme is as follows:—Contracts. have been placed for: Two battleships ; two cruisers of improved Southampton class, of 90(H) tons; nine tribal class super-destroyers; one submarine ; and. three mine-sweeping sloops. Tenders have been invited, and contracts will shortly be awarded, for the... following ■ additional : - ships Two aircraft-carriers of medium sir 7 ,e,; five cruisers, including tvvo to be built in the Royal Dockyards; one flotilla leader afid eight .“J” ‘ class destroyers; seven submarines; and three sloops.

In the allocation of this work due regard will be paid to employment conditions in the various industrial districts. As the First Lord said in his speech at the Conservative Conference, probably 80 per cent- of the current outlay on naval construction is being spent in the distressed areas. The fact that 26 ships of this year’s programme have yet to be ordered does not mean that they will he delayed In every case the designs, are complete, preliminary work has-been done, and sub-contracts —for armament and armour-plate, for example—have been placed. Consequently, once the vessels are laid : down their progress will be rapid. Nor it only the ships of this year’s programme that ,are heing speeded up.-i The: process of acceleration has been extended to all naval contracts in band throughout the country. At present nearly 80 men-of-war ot all. types are completing, afloat or on the stocks, or on order, The Clyde alone lias 30 of these contracts and the Tyne 17—totals about to be i | k the placing ~Qf. .njjv ordeys, Eight similar contracts are bring executed on the Mersey and 10 at:- Barrow. Other districts with much naval work in hand are Belfast, Southampton and Cowes. As the naval rearmament programme develops it-, may lie found necessary to recondition andj set. in motion shipbuilding and armaiyient plants, which have lain-idle for years,.

There is every prospect that the estimates, for 1937 will show a Jug, increase, due in part to the speeding-up of work on current construction and in part to the additional ships and armaments which will be asked lor next year. •