SOUTH AMERICAN FLEETS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13922, 29 March 1909, Page 8

SOUTH AMERICAN FLEETS.

Brazil may bo quito sorioiis in th.'^ statement that* the thivc l)n»a«lnou^iit.i at present under coristiurtion m Hukw. Biuain aiv required tor t}ie d<»t<'ni-e ct her ftoasts. I'lio loading; iSouth Amoiican States are all aspiring to the possession oi" fleets. At the end . ot la^t year Brazil had afloat three coast (u p-t'e-neo battleships, .six protected minors, i"i\<' torpedo vessels and t'i\e toi-pedo-boats, and had under construction the three l)readiuniu;hU, two scouts, eleven torpedo-boats, six dtstrovers and T:hree submarines. Theso vessels would constitute quite a formidable fleet. The Argentine Republic had at the close of 1908 three battleships, four armoured cruisers, four protected cruisers, two scouts, throe destroyers, twenty-two torpedo-boats, one submarine and two armoured monitors, with two armoured gunboats under construction in England. The Government had under consideration a scheme ior the expenditure of £11,000,000 on strengthening" the fleet. Chile owned two battleships, one coast defence ship, two armoured cruisers, five protected cruisers, three torpedo gunboats and fourteen vessels of the xorpedo cla;,r . Peru has a navy consisting of fourteen small vessels, the only two of any importance being tjro modern protected cruisers. Some of the other South American republics have war-vessels «/ a sort but 'they are more fitted for th.; scrap-heap than for active service. IT Brazil should actually come into possession of the three Dreadnoughts, it certainly would be able to take command of the South American coast so long ano outside Power intervened, and this prospect may have attractions for the Brazilian Government. There is always an element of suspicion, however, attaching to the announcement, thst warships of the best class are hem;!; built for a South American State, ih • vessels are very often ''purchased ' when complete by a European Power. Two of the Brazilian Dreadnoughts aiv beinu constructed by Messrs. Armstrong, Whitwcrth and Company, and the third is in the yards of Messrs. Vick^rs, Sons and Maxim. Last year, according to "Hazell's Annual,',' much interest was .shown .in the three battfcsliips, and many rumours as to their possible destination were afloat.