THE NAVAL ESTIMATES.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12488, 15 March 1909, Page 3

THE NAVAL ESTIMATES.

A HEAVY PROGRAMME. [Peesb Association.— Copyeight.] (Received March 7 14, 4.30 p.m.) v London, March 13. The naval est^ates + were presented to the House. They total £35, 1 42,00, of which new construction will absorb ■£8585,184, whereof £6,599,424 will be exSed on ships already under conS and £2,285,770 goes towards the new programme, which comprises four Dreadnoughts, six protected cruisers, twenty destroyers, and some submarines. The personnel of the Navy will not be increased. The Government will, if necessary, ask authority to make preparations for tne rapid construction of four more large armoured ships, to be laid down -on April Ist, 1910, and completed by March 1912. , ■ ..■-,' , v A memorandum on the estimates by Mr McKenna, First Lord of the Admiralty,shows that £60,000 ™dl be allocated for airships,, and hatf a million for new submarines. He added that during the current year three battleships, four Invincibles, five destroyers, seventeen first class torpedo es, and seven submarines will be completed, and the following will be under construction on April Ist: bix battleships, one armoured, two unarmoured, and five protected cruisers; 25 destroyers ; six torpedoes, and nineteen submarines. The "Daily News" expresses disappointment with the estimates on the ground that the programme is

colossal:. , _ . . , On the other hand the Unionist "press is disappointed on- the ground that the programme is. inadequate v.nless the additional powers for the construction of four more large armoured ships mentioned, are resolutely enforced.