EDITORIAL.

Thames Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 10201, 3 May 1912, Page 1

EDITORIAL.

THE BRITISH FLEET. __+ —. The recent speecih of the First Lord j of the Admiralty on the,, subject of the Naioy 'Estimates was remarkable dbiefly for its sta.ten.'ent of British policy in connection 'with the Anglo-German naVal rivalry. The full reports published in tl a London newspapers show that the- Adnrealty is preparing to proceed another stage with the concentration of Britain's naval forces in ho?n!e waters and at the sarnie time to increase the number of ships in continuous commission. In .other Words, (xcrmany's to ' add ai di>\h ision'to her. High Sfaa. Fleet is being <xn.rat@.recl in*■-acl-v'aa'icec.- The' Atlantic Fleet, which has its basse att Gibraltur, is to return toi the Channel and become a part of the fleet line, while the Mediterranean Fleet will leave Malta and take tlio vauaiit i station under the shadow of the | great far/tress. T!liis arrane-einent | will maike tiie Altlaintio Fleet immediately available for service in the North Sea in the event of war and will bring the Mediterranean Fleet within two or three days' steiani of th© Cthannel. A portion of the preSifinit 'RjeserVe is to be placed on a new footing of efficiency by the enrolment of 5000 special resenasts, who will ibe kepfr. in training and will be prepared to put to sea- at a few hours' notice. Thie complete bottle fleet under ,th© scHiemfe will consist of eight squadrons of eight battleships each, with attendant cruisers and destroyers. Germany possesses thirty-eight battleships al' told, srano of them obsolete, and under the oirouTPstances her disinclina;tion to redutoe her programmes of construction is not; altcgetlier unreasonalble. Her alarmists probably will maike much capital of the dliomgiQ in Hhe dfisp'osition of 81-i----itain's fordes.