CRIPPLING THE NAVY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 18974, 27 March 1924, Page 4

CRIPPLING THE NAVY

It must be remembered, too, that the abandonment of the Singapore base is not the only assault upon the defensive ramparts of the Empire contemplated by men whose vision is blurred by what Lord Sydenham fias described as “illusory theories contradicted by all world history.” Only last week figures were given to the House of Commons by Mr. Ammon, the Secretary to the Admiralty, which have aroused widespread concern lest Great Britain is about to relinquish that supremacy of the seas which she has held for so long. The figures showed the effective strength in cruisers and submarines which the four great Powers, Great Britain, the United States, Japan, and France, will possess on April 1, 1929, only five years hence. By that date the figures, according to Mr. Ammon, will be: Great Britain, 32 cruisers and 31 submarines; the United States, 10 and 122; Japan, 40 and 79; France, 19 and 69. Under the old conditions the numbers of cruisers were not necessarily any index to the strength of the fleet. But that has all been altered by the Washington agreement. This restricts the size of a cruiser to a limit of 10,000 tons, and stipulates a maximum of 8 inches for guns. It may fairly be assumed that all the Powers will aim, in building new cruisers, at getting close to the maximum in size and in armament. japan, for instance, had nothing heavier than 6-inch guns in her cruisers before the agreement, but she is arranging for 8-inch guns in her new 10,000-ton vessels. Italian and French naval architects are trying, by use of t riple turrets, to secure greater gunpower by carrying 10 or 12 8-inch guns, instead of eight. It is considered possible, too, that greater speed, up to 36 knots, may be obtained by using lighter armor-plate. But when all is said, the cruisers laid down under the agreement will probably be all much the same in size and in armament. No wonder, then, that thoughtful writers have accepted Mr. Ammon’s statement as a staggering Blow to the Dominions. From the very nature of the British Empire, with possessions and interests scattered in every corner of the globe, cruisers are the most important part of the Navy. Before he went out of office Mr. Baldwin stated that 17 new light cruisers would be needed to replace the “County” class. The Admiralty was then working out the plans for the new cruisers, a difficult task, in view of the limitations imposed by the Washington agreement. The Washington agreement recognised Great Britain’s special needs, but the new Ministry does not realise them, and, judging from Mr. Ammon’s statement, intends practically to give up the building of cruisers, apart from those actually in hand. One writer has suggested that the natural assumption from these figures is that the British Labour Party is as selfcentred and takes as little heed of the lessons of history as the Australian and cur own Labour politicians, and it cannot be denied that the suggestion is not without warrant.