THE AUSTRALIAN SQUADRON.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12911, 27 February 1906, Page 5

THE AUSTRALIAN SQUADRON.

THE ADMIRALTY'S OFFER

A GAME OF BLUFF.

United Preaa Association—Per EJectrJo Telegraph—Copyright. Received 1.12 a.m.. February 2711 i. MKI.BOURXK. February 26. Rcg.uding the offer of the Admiralty to replace (he Powerful by the Monmouth, ".lie '"Age" 5 ays that m ihsl sight it looked like a i:Ki-4i:.ii;iiiii:u« aoniissioa that a technical bie,n!i of the naval agreement hud been corumiued and .in endeavour on the part of the Admiral!v to atone f«r i<-

On cx.imir.;>tior. h.v.vevtr. the offer of a vessel of the Mo»n:ouih tyj»e tutus «»«;• to be an nudi'ci.us attempt at bluff on the part of the Admiralty. The upshot, therefore, is th.it the CommenwcaJth Go vernrnent after ciuumnnication with the New Zealand Government has practically rejected the offer, and a despatch to that; effect is now on its w.iv to the Imperial authorities.

It appear* that' the Monmouth tvpe of warship is iufcrior, and that the Commonwealth w'ouid do better to put up with the protected ciuiser Powerful than take the in-ferior-armoured Monmouth.

[H.M.S. Powerful, the flagship* on the Australian station. r.<;w at anchor in, the port of i.ytteltnn. is a iirst-cla*:* cruiser of 14 jjmis. 14.2C0 tons. 21.8 knot*-; built in 1895. The Mi nniouili is n\fd a first da*** cruiser.,of 14 gun.-. 9SOO inn*. 23 knot*: built in 1901. She belongs to the First Cruiser Squadron, and figure* in Jhe Royal Navy liM as " armoured cruiser," as against the Powerful a protected cruiser, i.e.. vital parts only aimouted.] THK COMMOXWKAI.THS PLAN. SUPPORT IX KXGLAXD. Received 1.26 a.m.. February 27th. I.OXDOX. February 26. . It is stated that several influential War Office and Admiralty experts support Uie Commonwealth's naval plan and estimate*, and that, efforts are being made to discover a -workable means between the two extremes represented by the Imperial Government's and Commonwealth's views.