ADMIRAL HENDERSON'S SCHEME OUTLINED.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 62, 14 March 1911, Page 5

ADMIRAL HENDERSON'S SCHEME OUTLINED.

[press association.] (Received March 13, 8 p.m.)

SYDNEY, March 13. Admiral Henderson's report on the naval defence of Australia, the result of exhaustive inquiries since August last, has been published. Dealing with naval bases the report says that ai chough attention was confined to the ports of the Commonwealth and dependencies, yet it had been necessary when reviewing the whole,of the naval situation of the South Pacific to give consideration to New Zealand, Fiji, and other portions of the Empire in the Pacific, and the proposals will admit any future developments in New Zealand and the .Pacific Islands being readily fitted into one complete scheme. After urging the paramount importance of the unity of control of :all -the Naval forces of the Empire, and that the primary object of Australia should be the immediate support of the rest of the Empire's Naval forceis in the determination to retain the command of the sea, the report outlines the scheme of the Australian Navy. i , V " The recommendations include the appointment of a Naval Board, a thorough system of training of officers and men., the protection , and equipment of naval bases essential to the maintenace of modern warships, tha organisation of; a complete system of communicatioH and intelli-! gence, and suggest that the completed fleet should consist of 25 vessels —namely, -8 armored cruisers, 3.0 protected cruisers^ 18 destroyers, 12 submarines* 3 depot- ships, and 1 repair ship; requiring when fully j xe.-inned a personnel of about 15,000 j ofllcerSi and men. j

'{"he building up, of; the completed fleet is to extend over 22 years, consisting, of four eras—-Ibh© first of seven years,-. and; the: second, third, and fourth of five years each.