NAVAL SUPREMACY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 35, 18 March 1914, Page 7

NAVAL SUPREMACY.

BRITAIN'S PROUD PLA€K CAREFUL WATCH ON GERMANY.. PBOS%2M £F THE PAOIPIC. DOMINIONS AND DEVELOPMENT! By Cable. —Press Association. —Copyright. (Received March 18, 11.5 a.m.) LONDON, March 17. Mr Churchill,- in Committee on then Navy Estimates, said the policy, as explained in 1912, was unchanged, and there'was now >. more horse-pdwer in the Fleet than in 1912. The fifteen-inch gun was the'*' best they ever had. It was most- ac- - •curate at all ranged, arid would be exceptionally long lived. Britain would: have ten vessels thus armed -wheto the» ■ next Naval Power had two. The Ad--" miralty desired to .complete., squadrons before: the . next, strongest'Power completed organisation. German development had been less* ' rapid than was . anticipated in"1912Three Germap squadrons . were . beingcompleted at the end of- 1914, .but,, owing to manning 'difficulties, tfre-'se-cond would be reduced by; three! ships* . temporarily.. . Britain, therefore, postpone^'.the completion of the'fo - squadron, Every delay pii fJ Ge;rxjiaßy part was watched, and our aticte was only completed ds it "was neejlp.;.,. He' anticipated that Britain-'s next-E ai - * mates would- be substantially* those of IDI-C ' - t V ; Continuing, Mr Churchill 'said he-riwa r. placing eight • Dreaflnough+s;"ln the# ■ • Mediterranean in 1915, and two" ships. < of the - : 1'914 programme be hastened to compensate for-' de--lay. Regarding the Pacifie problem, he*pointed out that, the Japanese alliance? secured .the safety of• Australia andt New Zealand.- The situation- int thes Pacific would be .afeoltitely reg".ila£e<L. . by: the position in European waters. The* 'Admiralty, had .eo operated * 'loyally *,iut the development of the Australian •fleet,"'. > and the Dominions would be afforded•; that individual local development .was necessary to' maintain. kec» interest-and procure those sacrifice!- *' which were rieeessary to the development of; their-naval policy. •• 1 •