The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-03
The French Navy.

The French Government requested time
In which 70 meet the charges made on
| Tuesday In the Chamber OF Deputies
| against the management OF the naval de-
partment and the arrangements for coast
| defence. On Thursday the reply was made,
| but although the Chamber accepted it as
satisfactory by vote Of $50 to 100. IL has
certainly left unanswered some Of the
grayest imputations.
Not even an attempt was made to deny
the capital accusation brought by VI. LOCK-
ROY. that France could show no adequate
result for the enormous sums expended on
her navy since the war Of 1870. BY what
causes. he asked. except incompetence
waste or embezzement, could be explained
the fact that. in the countries constituting
the Triple Alliance. money would go so
much further in the way OF securing a
naval armament than it would in France {:
VI. LOCKROY challenged the Government 10
contradict his assertion that. during the
last twenty-five years. France had spent on
the navy S2DO.OOO.ODO more than had the
three central powers put together. Had
there been any CORES ponding gain Of naval
strength On the contrary. he pointed out
that while Austria had augmented her sea
power by twU-thirds. and that OF Germany
was six times greater than it had been in
ISL, yet. during the same period, the naval
strength Of France had increased by only
the Insignificant fraction OF six per cent.
this increase. moreover. was on paper. and.
as a matter Of fact, many Of the French
vessels We're inferior to those OF their pos
sible antagonists. in speed and seaworthi-
ness. Passing TO details. u. LocKRoY
specified four ironclads the Magenta. the
Neptune. the Hoche. and the Narceau, as
cOnspicuously faulty. and he denounced
many OF the torpedo boats as worthless.
The naval administration. he said. was
either tagrantly incapable or corrupt. De-
ficits had been discovered at the Toulon
arsenal, but lad gone unpublished. Turn
ing 10 the subject Of coast defence. he de-
clared that the forts at Rochefort. L'Orient,
Brest, and CherbOuTg were In a bad condi-
tion, and that England could easily land a
force at CoteItin.
There are few members OF the Chamber
OF Deputies whose opinions have more
weight than those OF NJ. LoCKRoY, and, in
this instance. he spoke with more than
usual authority. being a member OF the
extra-Parliamentary Commission recently
appointed by the Government 20 inyesti.
gate naval affairs. The aim OF his speech
was TO substitute for the extra-Parlia-
mentary Commission. the members OF which
were selected by the Ministry. a Paria-
mentary committee OF inquiry on which
all political parties would be represented in
proportion TO their numbers. He evidently
believed that the former body was intended
TO stite the truth. and that some other
mode Of eliciting the facts must be resorted
TO. The demand, supported as II was by
thorough knowledge Of the subject and by
many specifications u acknowledgement.
caused the Government not a little dismay,
and the only Plea that the Premier, NJ. CA
sIMIR-PERIER, could make FOR postponing
a reply was that the facts recited concerned
the Ministry immediately preceding the
one now in power. The Chamber gave him
until Thursday. and then the task Of defend
ing the Government against the charges
made By 81. LOCEROY was undertaken By
the Minister Of Marine and the Minister
OF War. The former said that n. LOCKRoY
was IG's ISea IN imputing deficiencies
"a two OF tie ironclads meDtioaed: IL was
no. delied that he was right in eondsmning
lie other two. II was not disputed that
there had been shortcomings in the quau-
THY and quality OF the provisions paid FOR. |
but a weak attempt was made 70 excuse |
these BY EscnbinE them 10 the system Of !