GROWING GERMAN NAVY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22917, 21 December 1937, Page 13

GROWING GERMAN NAVY

EXTRA TONNAGE ALLOWED CLOSE LIAISON WITH BRITAIN LONDON, Dec. 14 As it has been found difficult to forecast the exact aggregate tonnage of Empire navies, even a year or two ahead, a working margin of 17,500 tons v has been put at Germany's disposal, to enable her to build to the full limit of her quota under the AngloGerman agreement. Mr. H. C. Bywater, the naval correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, says the arrangement is working smoothly, completely satisfying -both parties. It has resulted in extraordinarily close liaison between the two navies, to an extent without precedent in peace time, and possible repercussions on the political situation are not to be ignored. Mr. Bywater says that two factors combined to put Germany iii * stronger positiop than the ratio suggests. ' First, her new fleet consists almost entirely of the most modern construction, whereas for an indefinite period Britain's will include a large block of obsolescent tonnage. Secondly, while Germany can keep practically her whole fleet in Northern European waters-, Britain cannot afford to concentrate over 60 per cent of her naval strength in any one area, so that the effective ratio in Europe is thus approximately 35 to 60.