GERMAN NAVAL BUDGET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20337, 20 February 1928, Page 9

GERMAN NAVAL BUDGET

MYSTERY OF MILLIONS. STRIKING COMPARISON OF FIGURES. ENORMOUS COST OF GUNS. MOST EXTENSIVE SHIRS IN THE W ORLD. (Pres* Association— By Telesranh— Copyright J BERLIN, February 18. (Received Feb. 19. at 5-5 p.m.) That Germany is preparing a great naval surprise for the world is an authoti tative opinion based on the astounding figures contained in the 1928 naval budget These involve the mystery of millions sterling, for which no adequate explanation is forthcoming. These disclosures are made by the Berliner Tageblatt. newspaper of sound opinion and finally well informed on naval matters. Some idea of the amazing figures may be gathered from the fact that the British inan-o’-war Nelson, of 35.000 tons, the most powerful ship afloat, cost Britain £7,000,000, whereas a 10,000-tonner projected by Germany is provisionally estimated at £4,000.000. New cruisers are costing the enormous "ate of £2OO per ton exclusive of (runs. It is interesting to note that ordinary merchantmen cost from £lO to £ls per ton. Liners de luxe, rech as the Majestic, coat £SO. More startling still is the cost of the new torpedoers, restricted by treaty to a displacement of 800 tons. T 've >f these are being constructed, costing £213 pe- ton. This figure is the more remarkable in view of the fact that they are unarmoured and of simpler construction than battleships The only possible inference is that the boats are unique and contain some myscrious feature of greatest interest to foreign naval construction. Equally mysterious is the prodigious cost of the guns and torpedo tubes with which they are being armed. The Berliner Tageblatt recalls that before Mie war a 5000-tonner complete, cost £500,000. yet for one cruiser £750.000 is being appropriated for armaments alone. A further example is given in the fimt that six destroyers are to be armed with 4in guns, each costing £25,000 per gun. In addition, the Naval Department is pressing for heavy guns for a new 10,000ton cruiser to cost the fabulous figure of £300,000 for each gun. Another exaxmple of the mysterious figures is the new cruiser Karlsruhe. The original estimate was £1.425,000. It has now grown to £2,025,000. Berlin authorities do not offer any explanation beyond asserting that the costs of construction in Germany is not appreciably more costly than elsewhere. The Daily Telegraph naval correspondent also features the figures, and points cut that Germany has the most expensive navy in the world. He supports his argument in this way. The German naval personnel is 15,000. with nine battleships and cruisers, several torpedoers, together with sis small coast defence detachments. The Budget is £11,000,000. The Italian navv personnel. is 45,000, three times as many ships, a powerful aviation service, and elaborate coastal defence. The Budget is £10,000,000. The French navy personnel is 57,000, with ships and aviation equivalent to the Italian. The Budget is £12,000,000. It is also pointed out that Italy and France, with the same lavishness as Germany, would be spending yearly £33,000,000 and £42,000,000 respectively, while a similar scale of cost to Britain, America, and Japan would baffle calculation. The , correspondent adds that these figures are certain to be discussed, Undeniably lend colour to reports in circulation in Europe regarding developments by German scientists of mysterious new naval weapons of unprecedented power and efficiency. VYhether or not this is the true explanation remains to be seen.— A. and N.Z. Cable.