The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1913. NAVAL SUPREMACY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 88, 13 December 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1913. NAVAL SUPREMACY.

The race for more battleships continues madly and the "naval holiday" talk does not appear to influence the world greatly towards cessation in the building of fresh ships of war. A recent White Paper contains the following return, which at least conveys some idea of the enormous cost to the nations this emulation means : Cost in 1913. inc. on 1904. £ £ Great Britain 47,021,000 6,959,000 United States 29,499,000 9,318,000 Russia 24,249,000 12,300,000 Germany 23,030,000 12,934,000 ' France 20,848,000 8,466,000 Italy 10,158,000 5,158,000 Japan '9,861,000 7,757,000 Austria 6,006,000 .'5,391,000 Totals 170,671.000 66,283,000 It is not surprising that an increase )t no less than £66,000,000 in expenditure on the cost of battleships for this /ear, as compared with 1904, should .•a use anxiety to Governments in all die more, important European coun--1 ides. But that the tendency is to still urther increase expenditure is made ivident by the French estimates for .914, which provide for expenditure! if no less than £25,357,000, being an ncrcase of nearly £5,000,000 for the .•ear. The personnel of the British s'avy is much larger'than that of any j ither navy in the world. The number. .ast year amounted to 146,000 (the, •stimated average being .142,500, the lumber of France being 63,596, Bus- ; ;ia 52,403,. Germany 73,176, Italy 37,-, )95, Austria-Hungary 19,091, United States 67,907, and Japan (numbers )n active list at beginning of 1912-13)' )1,055. The London "Observer" dis■ussing the whole question, refers to, the British dependencies especally, and ,n doing so says Australia and New Zealand are uneasy about the naval defence of the Empire, while South Afica, willing to conic in to an Empire scheme, is waiting for a definite lead. The British Government hangs hack, md, for some reason, would postpone lie discussion of defence till 1915, ■vhen the regular "Imperial Conference vill meet and be absorbed by other piestions. The Pacific Dominions de-j uaud a more speedy settlement, and: their desire ought to be acceded to. j Speaking lately Mr Churchill said that , next year, apart from the Canadian ships, and apart from anything that may he required by new developments in the Mediterranean, England is to lay down font great ships to the Ger-i mans' two. "Now," he wont on, "we I'

say in all friendship and sincerity, to our great neighbour Germany: 'lt you will put oil' beginning your two ships for twelve months from the ordinal - } date when you would have begun thou we will put oil' beginning our I ship--, iu absolute good faith, for exactly tin same period.' " That, of course, wouli lu> something towards the "naval holi day."