Nelson Evening Mail FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1925 BRITISH CRUISER PROGRAMME

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 17 July 1925, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1925 BRITISH CRUISER PROGRAMME

EARLY in, April last, Mr Hector Bywater, writing in The London Daily News, accused Jfpan of forcing the signatories of the Washington Treaty into a naval race. He based hi* argument, on Japan’s naval building-programme. This attack, made by so well-known an authority on matters of naval construction, drew from the Japanese Navy Department, a very significant reply. While disrnisi'.ing Mr Bywater s statement. * l -s “sensational" it confessed that Japan was building 21 cruisers and destroyeisi (totalling 82,000 tons) and 14 submarines (totalling 24,000 tons); that America was building no cruisers, and no destroyers, but nice submarines (totalling 12,000 Inns); and that Britain was building only six cruisers (totalling 50,000 tons, and three submarines. Without appearing to realise it, the Japanese Navy Department largely demonstrated the correctness of Mr Bvwater’s statement, which of course did not deal with the building «• capital ships, since such is rigidly regulated by the Washington Treaty. That Treaty pu, no restriction on the building of cruisers or lesser craft, except that 10,000 tons

was the limit as to size. It was also a fact, that Britain was not anxious to add materially to the number of her cruisers, in spite of the fact that, many of them are old and obsolescent When, however, it was evident that. Japan was building, in accordance with a, clearlydefined programme, ships which would

out class all the obsolescent. British rrtdsiers, there was a, feeling in British naval circles that the building of new cruisers was imperative. The matter was talked of a year ago, hut. nothing definite was done ; there being a, natural reluctance to divert money into art unproductive channel, when so much money was needed for the re-establish-ment of industry, and trade. But it appears from a statement of The London Daily Telegraph that at last- the British Government has decided to take steps to prevent Japan from creating for herself a predominance in new and up-to-date cruisers. Two London newspapers state definitely that the British Government will lay down five cruisers immediately, anil one authority reports that subsequently for five years seven new cruisers will he laid down annually, making a total of 40 new cruisers in six years. All these new vessels are to ho each of 10,000 tons displacement, so that the programme is quite an important

This reported decision of the British Government, will he welcomed in Australasia. where the necessity for the provision of proper protection of the long trade-routes of the Pacific and Indian Oceans is so clearly realised. With the creation of a first-class naval base at Singapore and the building of forty of fifty up-to-date cruisers, trade between Britain and Australasia ,and vice versa, should he amply protected, whatever aspect the Far Eastern Question may assume.