FUEL FOR THE NAVY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23221, 19 June 1937, Page 13

FUEL FOR THE NAVY

VIEW OF THE ADMIRALTY OIL STRONGLY FAVOURED (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, June 17. In the House of Lords Lord Ailwyn asked the Government whether consideration would be given to coal firing in all ships of the new construction for the fleet, and, if not, whether it would state the reason for the continued policy of relying exclusively on oil for the Royal Navy. He pointed out that the importation of oil had increased from 2,500,000 tons in 1914 to nearly 12,000,000 tons in 1936. Lord Stanhope, replying, said that, although the oil supplies were not under British control, such a number of countries now supplied oil that it would be extremely unlikely that any real difficulty in getting supplies would arise. The Government hoped and believed that the measures which it had in view would be sufficient to meet any emergency. If a 10,000-ton cruiser were converted from oil to coal it would lose three knots and a-half in speed. The general view of the Admiralty was that the technical arguments were so strongly in favour of oil that they outweighed, even from the strategical point, the disadvantage of having to buy fuel from foreign sources. The reserve of oil fuel had steadily accumulated for a large number of years, and was going ahead very satisfactorily.