ITALIAN NAVY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16943, 18 January 1923, Page 5

ITALIAN NAVY.

INCREASED EXPENDITURE. By Telegraph—Press Association--Copyright Aus rial lan and N.Z. Cable- Association. ROME, January 16. The naval programme submitted to Cabinet increases the expenditure to fifty million lire ana the total personnel to 40,UU0. j he programme provider lor the laying down or five light cruisers, twenty destroyers and sixteen submarines by the end of 1925. Italy is one of the two Powers that, have refused to ratify the Washington Treaty, which provides for the reduction of naval armaments. Tho Italian navy has undergone complete revision and much reduction since the armistice. The old battleships have been Dreadnoughts which remain have been condemned. The armoured cruisers are of little value. The list of light cruisers has been expanded by the accession of sfx enemy vessels. At tho end of 1.42 L the Italian navy was as follows : —Five Dreadnoughts, three preDreadnoughts, three armoured cruisers, eighteen light cruisers, scouts, and flotilla leaders, two torpedo gunboats, sixty-five destroyers, ninetyone torpedo boats, and forty six suh- | marines. The normal personnel was I 10U0 offiers and 40,00 U men, but this number has lieen greatly reduced.