Britain To Spend Over 153 Millions On Navy This Year

Northern Advocate, 1 March 1939, Page 7

Britain To Spend Over 153 Millions On Navy This Year

(Received 11 a.m.)

LONDON, February 28. rpHE NAVAL ESTIMATES FOR 1939 REACH A GROSS TOTAL OF £153,666,681, OF WHICH LOAN MONEY WILL AMOUNT TO £84,267,681, LEAVING £69,399,000 TO BE MET FROM REVENUE, COMPARED WITH £96,117,500 LAST YEAR, OR A DECREASE FROM REVENUE OF £26,718,000. THE GROSS TOTAL, HOWEVER, BOTH FROM LOANS AND FROM REVENUE, SHOWS AN INCREASE OF £22,471,500 OVER LAST YEAR.

The new construction programme is increased by two destroyer flotillas, 20 escort vessels, and 10 mine-sweepers. The total personnel will be reduced by 13,500.

The year’s programme, therefore, provides two capital ships, one aircraft carrier, four cruisers and two destroyer flotillas, 22 escort vessels, 10 mine-sweepers, one river gunboat, one hospital ship, six motor torpedo boats and two boom defence vessels.

It also includes provision for a new

Royal Yacht, replacing the Victoria and Albert.

The total cost of the 1939 programme is expected to be £60,500,000, excluding the Royal Yacht. The battleships Duke of York, Jellicoe and Beatty will be launched in the current year. Apart from new construction, the heaviest increases concern the fleet air arm works, larger seafaring personnel and extensive refits to be carried out on the Renown, Queen'Elizabeth, Valiant and Revenge. Earl Stanhope, First Lord of the Admiralty, emphasised the smoothness and celerity of the September crisis mobilisation. All reserves were ready for sea considerably ahead of timetable. Incidentally, he explained that the apparent decrease of 13,000 in the current personnel is not a reality. Actually there is an increase of 14,000, because last year’s figures were inflated by 37,500 reservists called up in the September crisis. A high Admiralty official stated that the estimates would almost certainly be even higher in 1940. Two hundred ships would be under construction in 1939.

The King has intimated that, in the event of war, the new Royal Yacht would be used as a hospital ship. The sum of £11,750,000 would, at present be devoted to the air arm.