NAVAL EXPENDITURE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1334, 8 December 1914, Page 4

NAVAL EXPENDITURE.

An excellent idea of the waj' Germany has been pushing on her navy development is to be gleaned from a return issued by the Admiralty, showing the naval expenditure ot the great Powers during the past 10 years. Taking the belligerents in the present war, the following table gives the expenditure in the first and closing years of the period referred to :

With regard to the personnel of the various navies at the end cf the present financial year the maximum number to be borne by Great Britain is placed at 151,000, as compared with 127,667 in 1905; whilst Germany has nearly doubled the number of her men in the 10 years—from 40,843 to 79,386. The personnel ot the Russian Navy was put at 71,527 in 1905 ; the next year it bad fallen to 59,822, and the figures for this year are 59>4 2 7- The number for France has increased from 54,549 to 69,580 in xo years; and Austria-Hungary from 11,989 to 23,012. The amounts voted for new construction in the present year are given as follows : —Great Britain, .£18,676,080; France, Russia, 613 ; Germany, ,£10,316,264—-in-cluding for aeronautic — Austria-Hungary, ,£4)05i,97 6 including ,£4067 for aircraft ; Japan, ,£4,623,919.

1905. 1914-15. £ £ Great Britain 37,159,235 52,261.703 France 12,667,856 25,389.306 Russia 12,393.684 26,149,294 Germany 11,300,000 23,284,531 Austria-Hungarv3,838,675 7>4°8,I96 japan 2,388,018 10,023,919