TO-DAY'S CABLES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, 18 December 1909, Page 3

TO-DAY'S CABLES.

AN ATTACK ON ; THE ADMIRALTY 1 (LORD CHARLES BERESFOED AJ' SPEAKS OUT. (Received Dee. 18, 10.40 a.m.) . '.v ■-■ AyA iy- London, Friday. -v Lord 'Charies-Beresford, speaking at Hull, said that Mulliners and Co., a Coventry, firm, had informed the Admiralty in May, 1906, of Germany's accelerated-- shipbuilding, since 'which date the; firm had never receivedTTtn Admiralty order. >■' Lord Charles said the- Navy at present was 16,000 short -'n. personnel, and he condemned the fjhbrt-servico" system and' the V reduction, of cpastgnards. He added that ,if "things' did hot improve he would be prepared to take the risk :of offending ander the Official Secrets Act. Curing the last three years those in an"* ihorityyin the; ;Navy had. pursued a policy -of evasion, prevarication, and .iometimes absolute - falsehood. With T^gardVto the strength of the fleet, bo .long as- we were wardens of the : sea iiobody' assailed our supremacy; but Vlireetly we became theybully of the seas. we built Dreadnoughts, ahd held them up'* to the' world,' particularly lo Gfermany, saying, "Look! With'this we can ;sink your whole fleet. ' '.' Advertising; the Dreadnoughts had /.placed ua in- the pieseht position. Germany was -now .spending more, money ■ on naval construction than 'ourselves, and building ;,ships faster. :■■:-.: v T_fnionis't7newspapers emphasise the and vigour of Mr Chamber-'ain-'s manifesto.