ARE THEY DEATH TRAPS ?

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17472, 22 January 1931, Page 11

ARE THEY DEATH TRAPS ?

GRAVE MISTAKE NEW BRITISH CRUISERS (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Received Jan. 22, 3 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 21. The Dailv Express' naval correspondent asks: "Are the British 10.000ton cruisers (of which the Canberra, and Australia are examples), which were built to the Washington Treaty limits, death traps?" He proceeds: "To-day it is practically admitted officially that'the ships were a grave mistake. Sir William Berry, late Director of Naval Construction, writing in I'rassey's Annual, states: 'As at present built a well placed salvo of Sin. shells would place the 10,000 tonners out of action. Protection has been sacrificed to speed. If mole treaty cruisers are built they must be slower.' These disclosures explain why the Admiralty stopped building the 10,000 ton type and started constructing .smaller types, illustrating the immense waste involved in high speed. Hrassey's Annual instances a foreign cruiser which at 50 knots took 61.000 horsepower, hut required 110,000 horsepower for 32.75 knots. "America is building 18 of this type, France seven. Italy seven, and Japan eight. The total cost will bo £100.000.000, an ironic commentary on the limitation treaty that rushed the peoples of the world belter skelter into pouring out money for ships which naval experts now condemn."