The herald., 1896-03-03
Proposes an Enormous Increase
of Warships
TWENTY MILLION POUNDS
To Be Spent in Defense Of Britain s
Scattered Possessions
The First Lord Of the Admiralty Wants q
Naval Fleet Which May Be
Relied Upon


LONDON, March 2.-Mr. Goschen, first
lord of the admiralty, presented the naval
program In the house of commons today.
He said the estimates of the admiralty
were not proposed with any feeling of
alarm, although he hoped he might be re-
lieved from the necessity of dwelling upon
the critical nature of the times. In any
case, the first lord of the admiralty hoped
the estimates proposed would be accepted
by the country as adequate for the oc
casion. The increase in the number of
ships must necessarily be followed by
expenditures in various directions. 1t
meant more ornaments, officers, seamen,
marines, engineers and ratings of every
kind entailing more centers for training,
hospitals and barracks.
Continuing, Mr.. Goschen said it was not
necessary to look far ahead nowadays, as
ships could be built as rapidly as guns,
officers and men could be prepared to
handle them.
Mr.. Goschen then said that the admiralty
proposed to increase the navy by 1900 sea-
men, etc., and by 500 extra marines. For
guns and ammunition the admiralty pro-
posed supplementary estimate of f2OO.-
600 for the present year and for the ensu-
ing fiscal year the admiralty proposed an
increase of fS5O,00O. The admiralty also
proposed an increase of f2,25O,O0O for
docks, and explained that the proposed
dock work would increase the amount of
GS,9OO,O00. provided by the last esti.
mates, to Gl4, 100000. and the chancellor
of the exchequer had placed the surplus
after satisfactory supplementary esti.
mates lad been applied to these works.
fl,nrn hot hnfvr
1889 and 1896 1O5 ships and sixty-two
torpedo destroyers had been built or were
building. He admitted this was a formid-
able list; but the admiralty proposed to
spend an additional 100000. including
The 100000 previously proposed, as a
supplementary estimate for guns and am
munition during the present year. The
admiralty had judged it advisable to un-
dertake the construction of five additional
battle ships, four iirst-class cruisers, three
second-class cruisers and twenty-eght tor
pedo destroyers, in addition to minor ex-
penses, such as anchoring training ship
at Queenstown and replacing the cadet
ship Britannia by college for naval
cadets.
Besides the vessels mentioned, Mr..
Goschen also said the admiralty proposed
to provide for six third-ciass cruisers, and
all would be commenced in 1896.
Dealing with the batlleships, Mr.. Goschen
said it was the opinion of the admiralty
that the range of action of the British ships
carrying capacity was of vital importance,
so as to enable them to remain at sea for
the longest period possible without coaling
and without interfering with their efficiency
in any way.
The increase for the coming year would
be: For men, G300,000; shipbuilding,
81 1.S6O,O0O: ordnance. fS390O0; new
n0A. ~ E.
total of G3, ,l22, 900.
The total estimates for this year would
be Ell 500 900, of which sum for new
construction there was f7,3S5, 900, as
compared with t5,"93,0 900. The present
estimates and the cost of the naval de-
Tense act was t2l, 100000, while the
Spencer program was E23,O1O,O0O.
Therefore from 1850 to 1896 the expendi-
ture for new construction and armament
totaled up G55 100000. The government
proposed that the estimates this year
should amount to t22 100000.
Mr.. Goschen submitted the estimates,
he said, no. in a spirit of boastful exag-
geration or provocation. They were the
estimates of self-defense based upon the
special conditions of the country, which
did not apply to any other country. They
applied to the defense of Great Brtain's
scattered possessions. to the food supply
of the British colonies and to the security
of ihe shores of Great Britain.
Foreign countries. he asserted, must not
compare them with the amounts spent
upon their navies. but with the amounts
they spent on their armieS, as the British
navy represented the corps d'armes sta
toned on foreign frontiers, and the large
iucre ase in the strength OF the British need
not excite the jealousy of any country.
In conclusion Mr.. Goschen said:
"Whether Great Britain is isolated or
not, whether in a tremendous strain she
should bear the whole burden alone, ca In