NAVY ESTIMATES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 66, 19 March 1938, Page 9

NAVY ESTIMATES

NEARLY 127 MILLIONS QUALITATIVE LIMITS WAITING ON JAPAN [By Telccrraph—Press Association—Copyright] [ British Official Wireless ] RUGBY, March 17. In the absence of the First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr A. Duff Cooper), who is ill with influenza, the Parliamentary Secretary (Mr G. H. Shakespeare) presented in the House of Commons the Navy Estimates, which total £126,707,000, an increase of some £18,600,000 over last year. Of the total, £30,000,000 is to be raised under the Defence Loans Act. Expenditure on new construction—apart from vessels in the 1938 programme, which will be the subject ot a supplementary estimate—is £41,500,000, compared with £18.000,000 in 1914. “As to the 1938 programme,” said Mr Shakespeare, “the number of ships had been announced but the question of qualitative limits was affected by the position of Japan. Up to the present no information had been supplied by Japan in reply to a recent joint inquiry by Britain, the United States, and France, but it is still possible that on consideration, she may decide to take her place with the great naval Powers of the world and agree to give satisfactory assurances that she will abide by the limits of the London Naval Treaty, even if she is not prepared to accede to the treaty. “Representatives of the threw Powers mentioned have been conferring as to whether, in the absence of information, they should invoke the escalator clause the treaty, which is subject to certain conditions and allows the signatory Powers to exceed the qualitative limits laid down. The question has been referred back to the individual Governments and we are not therefore in a position to make an announcement as to our intentions. But if, for example, it is considered necessary to exceed a displacement of 35,000 tons for capital ships the House can rest assured that our plans for so doing are well advanced.” Fleet Air Arm Kir Shakespeare entered into a detailed review of the consequences of the transfer to the Navy of the fleet air arm and mentioned that there were at present in commission four aircraft carriers, and five new ones were being constructed. Moreover, all capital ships and larger cruisers* were to be fitted with aircraft. Mr Shakespeare spoke of the attitude of the Admiralty to the question of convoys. Where trade was of great importance or density and liable to attack by surface vessels, submarines, or aircraft, the Admiralty view was that a suitably escorted convoy would provide thhe best means of defence. Where trade was sparse and scattered or unlikely to be attacked by enemy forces, its safety would be sought by diversion or evasive routing with such patrols as the circumstances warranted. There had been sitting for some time a very strong committee representative of the shipping interests of the Board of Trade and the Admiralty and he paid a tribute to the manner in which the leaders of the shipping industry had co-operated in this vital matter. The Admiralty, for its part, was busily engaged in building up reserves of armaments, stores, and material necessary Io ensure the protection of the merchant navy. A Priceless Heritage Concluding, Mr Shakespeare struck a personal note, asking how it came that as a Liberal and an advocate in the past, of disarmament he was presenting with enthusiasm and conviction the Navy Estimates for a vote unprecedented in peace fime. There was nothing inconsistent in his attitude, he said. “Everything I believed in is disappearing from so many countries since the war. Here in this country we still preserve and mean to preserve our British culture and institution and our liberty of spirit, of intellect, and of speech, liberties enshrined in our Parliamentary system. A strong navy is a srtrong guarantee j that we can preserve for ourselves ■ and the Empire and pass on unim- : paired this priceless heritage.”