NEW GERMAN NAVY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 9 June 1924, Page 2

NEW GERMAN NAVY.

QUIET REPLACEMENT. Admiral Sir Doveton Sturdee, sir. victor ul tiio C ctiiuailU lsumus oatlK was in peosun.sLic vein iuich ape.-u.... at Uie iusiiiuuon oi Naval He declared mat tne Lritisu peupu., with med’ eyes open, had auauuo..o . uaval superiority as tar as OatUcs.np-. and auciail earners were eouocriicu. Theroiore Great Britain hud strategically piuced herself at a disadvantage witn any other Bower with an equal force of battleships. ’Hie Empire was less prepared, tor war now man at any other time. Recently, without sound of trumpet or beat of drum, ueriha.-iy launched me first warship of her new fleet to replace the old one, winch iios in the depths ol Scapa Flow The launch of the warena) was not even mentioned in the German Press, which in itsell is a highly significant thing. under the Peace Treaty Germany may launch ouo light cruiser ol ouUD tons, aimed with eight 6m guns, and she may rephv-u anv warship lost by accident, and icpltice any ship at the end ot twenty yciirSj provided thut Liio liuiits IUDi down, arc observed. The German navy is limited to ms battleships of the Deutschland or Lot i ringen tvpe —13,000 tons displacement. 18-Snot speed, and armed with tom lLin and 14 6.7 m guns—six light cruisers, 12 destroyers, and L2 toi-pcmi boats, manned by 15,000 oliicers uu.i men. No submarine may be built, an I new warships to replace any of the big ships will be limited to armoured ship, of 10,U0O tons, light cruisers of 6000 tons, destroyers ol 800 tons, and tor pedo boats of 200 tons. The warship which Germany has iusf launched may be the Dresden, laid down in 192 i under the foregoing icgulations to replace the light cruiser of the same name which fought at (ho battle of Coronel and the Falkland islands battle, and was the sole sun ivoi of Von Spee’s squadron in the lattei action. On the March 14 followin', she was caught up by the light cruisers Blent and Glasgow off the island of Juan Eeniandez —the home of Robinson Crusoe —and sent to the bottom of the waters of the South Pacific. The French Press, however, states that the German ship is not a light cruiser but a battleship and that she has been named the Alsace; in itself a threat. As a matter of fact more than 15.07)0 officers and men man the present German fleet and it is equally well known that the military limit: of 1.00.000 men has been got round by j various means. Germany at the mom- 1 ent possesses -some 6,000,000 of trained officers and men. Very large irregular I forces under various pretexts of civil : guards police reserves, etc., have been I created. This huge force is well armed with artillery mortars, rifles, machino guns. etc. respite the representations of the Allies. !