Waterbury Democrat., 1902-06-20
SYSTEM Is ROTTEN
So Declared Lord Beresford in Speaking of England's Navy.
NAVY SHORT IN MANY DEBTS

Officers Had Threatened to Resign In
 Order to Get Some Things Righted-
 Australians Premier Talks About
 Colonial Conference-RainyW Weather
 Interferes With the Ascot Meeting
 Secretary of Embassy White Con-
 tradicts Statement About His Daugh-
 ter's Engagement.
 London, June 20.-During the course of the discussion in the house of com mons to-day, Rear Admiral Lord Charles Beresford (conseryative) scathingly criticised the deficiencies of the navy. He declared the whole ad- miralty system was rotten and led to great extravaganza and the general want of efficiency of the navy, on which depended the existence of the empire. This was the judgment of all the commissions of inquiry and had been proven to be a fact. Every in- crease in the number of ships and every improvement in them had been the result of outside agitation. AS the result of such agitation the British
 
 stronger than it was a year ago.
 It was remarkable, Lord Beresford added, that both army and navy off cers were compelled to threaten to re- sign in order to get things righted. Great Britain had only 10000 naval re- serves instead of the requisite SO,OOO and the engine room departments were thousands of men short. As to arma- ment, both the United States and France possessed superior guns. Blun- ders would continue until a separate business board was appointed at the admiralty and made responsible for the efficiency of the fleet. Treasury control was fatal to efficiency. As an instance. the speaker pointed out the case of Sir William Vepnon-Harcourt, QiberaD who, when he was chancellor of the exchequer, put his pen through the ammunition supplies after the guns had been ordered.
 London. June 20..In the course of an interview to-day on the subject of the forthcoming colonial conference, Edmund Barton, premier of Australia, said he considered that an imperial customs union was not within the bounds of practical politics though it might be possible years hence. But any empire free trade now would de prive the young communities Of their main source of revenue, namely the customs, and render it impossible to carry on their internal government sue cessfully. Mutual tariff concessions within the empire stood on more practical basis. and he hoped to see the difficulties in the way of such conces- sions removed.
 London, June 2O.-Owing to the re- turn of rainy weather the attendance at the races to-day was in no way com parable with that of the earlier days of the Ascot meeting. The Ascot lightweight stakes Ca handicap of 300 soyereigns, for three year olds and up- wards: one mile and quarter) was won by Victor Don. ridden by J. Reiff- The Duke of Portland's William the Third NI. Cannon) won the Alexandria plate. (of 1900 sovereigns, added to a Sweepstakes of 9 soyereigns each for four year olds about three miles) Osboch (Maher) was second. and Amer Picon R1gby) came in third. Six horses ran.
 London. June 2.=Henry White. sec retary of the United States embassy, has requested the Associated Press to contradict the announcement. printed fn New York and which has just reached here. of his daughters engage ment to Marshall o. Roberts.
 London. June 2O.-The London agents of the American line have heard notn- ing of the report in circulation here last night that the steamer Belgen- and of that line. which left Queens town yesterday for Philadelphia, was returning to the former port. Dis patches from Queenstown. this morn ing say that vessels which have ar rived there today have not sighted any disabled steamer The report regard ing the Belgenland is now believed to