DEBATE ON THE ESTIMATES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXVI, Issue 145, 24 June 1902, Page 2

DEBATE ON THE ESTIMATES.

AN INDICTMENT BY LORD CHARLES BERESFORD.

THE MINISTERIAL REPLY.

Press Association. Electric Telegraph Copyright.

London, June 21.

The Naval debate ha 9 commenced in the House of Commons on the Admiralty Estimates.

Lord Charles Beresford said that while the Government was doing its utmost to make the Mediterranean fleet one-fourth stronger than in 1901 —the torpedo catchers having been doubled, while the stores were 80 per cent better—the Admiralty system of administration was rotten. As an instance of this he pointed out that the reserve amounted to 20,000 men instead of 80,000, the number possessed by one of Britain's possible enemies. The engine-room departments were short by a thousand men. Without trained stokers the boilers were worse than useless.

Lord Charles went on to point out that nobody on the Admiralty Board was directly responsible for the efficiency of the service. One Government had been ejected from office because there were no supplies of cordite in the country; later it was discovered that there were no guns ; and in 1901 the navy was short of coal. What was wanted, he said, was some individual or department responsible for requirements in detail and to submit demands to those responsible to Parliament.

A vigorous debate followed Lord Charles Beresford's speech.

Sir Henry Campbell - Bannerman, Leader of the Opposition, said he did not believe the First Lord of the Admiralty ever disregarded the views of the First Sea Lord.

Sir Charles Dilke complained of the vacillation of the Government, instancing its conduct in regard to the abandonment of Wei-hai-wei and the proposed School of Naval Strategy.

S:r John Colomb hoped the colonies would be reminded of their obligations to the navy.

Mr Edmund Robertson, K.C., recommended the appointment of Parliamentary Committees of General Control.

Mr H. O. Arnold-Forster, Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, said the supply of coal was extended proportionately to the means at dis* posal, not as the result of agitation. Similarly in regard to the Mediterranean fleet; ships were sent out because they had been completed. All the fleets had been strengthened, and the Intelligence Department of the Navy had been strengthened.

Proceeding, Mr Arnold-Forster declared that it would be disastrous to adopt Mr Robertson's suggestion and refer scientific derails to a Parliamentary Committee. He recognised the need of some reinforcement of the intellectual equipment which might direct the enormous forces of the Empire, also the value—even in their present not wholly developed form—of the Intelligence Departments of both services, but there were questions outside the purview of either of those bodies acting independently.

There was, declared the speaker, room for a greater amount of preparation in advance regarding the defence of the Empire, but he was not sanguine of the possibility of improving in a year, or even within a quinquennium or decade, the organisation of the ser« vice, enabling it to do all that was desirable. The present Board was, however, aware of the deficiencies of the Navy, and was alert to the necessity of. remedying them.

The debate on the question that the House go into Committee on the Estimates was adjourned.