BRITAIN'S FLEET

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22390, 9 April 1936, Page 11

BRITAIN'S FLEET

DEPLETED STRENGTH MEDITERRANEAN DUTY NAVAL OFFICER'S WARNING By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received April 8, 10.35 p.m.) LONDON, April 8 " The presence of the British Fleet in the Eastern Mediterranean, more than anything else, has prevented the war between Italy and Abyssinia from spreading to a general conflagration. Yet that Fleet was only brought up to the necessary strength by drawing on the Home, China and American stations and even on the Australian and New Zealand naval forces," declares Captain Edward Altham in an article in Brassey's Naval Annual. "The effort required to restrain oven a second-class naval Power made it necessary for us to denude our home and overseas squadrons to an extent which would havo made it most difficult to safeguard our ocean shipping if trouble had arisen elsewhere," says the writer. "In fact, tho strength of the Fleet is so reduced that when it is put to the test it is found to havo no margin over the second-class standard."

Captain Edward Altham, who retired from the Navy in 1922, is secretary, editor and chief executive officer of the Royal United Service Institution. He served in the European War, having command of H.M.S. General Graufurd at the Zeebrugge and Ostend operations and of H.M.S. Attentive at tho bombardment and capture of forts on Modyuski Island, North Russia. He has written numerous articles on Imperial defence, naval strategy and tactics.