GREAT NAVAL SURPRISE?

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6537, 20 February 1928, Page 7

GREAT NAVAL SURPRISE?

Astounding German Budget Estimates Utterly Confound Press at Home and Abroad

Mounting Gum Costing £300,000 Apiece

(A.P.A. and Surf.) (Received Sunday, 5.5 pan.) BERLIN, Feb. 18. That Germany is preparing a great naval surprise for-the world is an authoritative opinion based on astounding figures contained in the 1928 Naval Budget. These involve a mystery of millions sterling for which no adequate explanation is-forthcoming. These disclosures are made by the Berliner Tageblatt, a newpaper of sound opinion and usually well informed on naval matters,

Some Idea of these amazing figures may bo gathered from the fact that the British man-o-war Nelson of 35,000 tons, the most powerful ship afloat, cost Britain seven millions, whereas a 10,000-tonner projected by Germany is provisionally estimated at four millions. Now cruisers are costing the enormous rate of £2OO per ton exclusive of guns. It is interesting to note that ordinary merchantmen cost from £lO to £ls per ton. Liners do luxe such as the Majestic cost £SO per ton. More startling still is the cost of new torpedo boats restricted by treaty to a displacement of 800 tons. Twelve of these are being constructed costing £215 per ton. This figure Is more remarkable in view of the fact that they are unarmoured and of simpler construction than battleships, The only possible Inference is that these boats are, unique and contain some mysterious , features of the greatest interest to foreign naval constructors. Equally mysterious is the prodigious cost of the guns and torpedo tubes with which they are being armed. The Berliner Tageblatt recalls that before the war a SOOO-tonnor complete cost half a million. Yet for one new cruiser threequarters of a million Is being appropriated for armament alone. A further example is given. Six destroyers are being constructed with three four-inch guns each costing £25,000 per gun. In addition the Naval Department is pressing for heavy guns for a new 10,000-ton cruiser to cost the fabulous figure of £300,000 for each gun.

Another example of these mysterious figures is the new cruiser Karlsruhe. The original estimate was £1,425,000. It has now grown to 1 £2,025,000. Berlin authorities do not offer any explanation beyond, asserting that tho cost of construction in Germany is not appreciably more costly than elso- . where. The Daily Telegraph's naval correspondent also features tho figures In 1 which ho points out that Germany has | tho most expensive navy in tho world. He supports his argument In this way. In tho German Navy the personnel is 15,000. There are nine battleships, and cruisers, several torpedo boats, gnd six small coast defence detachments. Yet the budget is £II,OOO.OOCr. ■ In the Italian Navy the personnel jis 45,000 for* three times as many ships, a powerful aviation service and elaborate coastal defence. The budget amounts to only, £10,000,000. j In the French Navy the personnel jis 57,000 with ships and aviation equivalent to the Italian. The budget is £12,000,000. j It is also pointed out that Italy and 1 Franco with the same lavishness as Germany would bo spending yearly £33,000,000 ana £42,000,000 respectively, while a similar scale of cost in tho British, American and Japanese Navies would baffle calculation, i Tho correspondent adds that these figures are certain to be discussed and j undeniably lend colour to reports In circulation in Europe regarding developments by German scientists of mysterious new naval weapons of unprecedented power and efficiency. Whether or not this is the true explanation remains to bo seen.