Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-12-10

London, Dec 10.--In an official mem oFandum issued to-day dealing with the future distribution and mobiliza- ton of the British fleet Lord Sel- borne, first lord of the admiralty, makes some interesting remarks on the causes necessitating revision of the strategical principles which Up tU the present have governed the Cistrl- button of the fleet from the period when the electric telegraph did not ex- ist and wind was motive power" The development of foreign navies throughout the world constitutes m Lord Selborne's view a new and detin- i6e stage of naval affairs in the west ern hemisphere. Be says:
 'sThe United States is forming a navy the power and size of which will De limited only by the amount of mon. ey the American people choose to spend on it. In the eastern hemi- sphere smaller but modern navy, that of Japan. has been put to the test Of war and not found wanting. The Russian navy has been greatly in- creased and with the exception of the Black Sea fleet has been, wholly trans- feFFed or Is in course of being trans ferred to the Pacific. The navies of Italy and Austria have maintainett kneir positions in the Mediterranean. but the expenditure thereon has not been. increased as in the case of other powers. The French navy stands as always in the forefront and new German navy has come into existence. Mt IS a navy of the most efficient type and SO fortunately circun1staneed that it is able to concentrate almost the whole of its fleet at home ports.''
 Dwelling on the improvements of the British fleet Lord Selborne remarks that all the old battleships have been replaced by modern ships, but stilI more significant and far reaching Great Britain will have within this year 26 modern cruisers built within four years, of great speed: with arma- n3ents as powerful as that of battle ships. and altogether a great advance op anything which has preceded them.
 Tn studying the questions of the dis trihution of the warships and the ar. rangement of stations the admiralty, Lord Selborne continues. has been guided by the experiences of Japan and Russia in the present war. The admiralty's ideas were that the peace distribution of the fleet should also Da its best strategical distribution for war and that tho mobiiized ships. el always be h as perfest a con, of fitHess for war as the earn- El1issioned ships
 Lord Seih0rne then details the fleet changes The, home fleet heuceforth will be called the Channel fleet. with Headquarters at home It will con sist of twelve sbattleships and a suffi- cieiit number of cruisers, The present Channel fleet will be remained che At lantic fleet, have its permanent base at Gibraltar. and consist of eieht bat 'tleships and q sufficient number Of cruisers. Affiliated to the Channel ana Atlantic fleets win be cruiser squad- rons, each of six arnored cruisers, commanded by rear admiraIs. and ee- taehahle ct any time for special ser. vices.
 The South Atlantic squadron under the new arrangement will remain as nnw constituted and will not disappear as was believed would be the case, Ihe Mediterranean fleet will consist of eight battIeshipg and attendant cruis, CTS, with its base at the Island of Nal. ta. The large cruisers attached to this fleet will be called the third crnis. CT squadron.
 The aim of the admiralty has been to be sure that never more than tw6 battleships of the channel fleet or one battleship of the Atlantic and Meditef ranean fleets shall be in the Clockyards at the same time.
 Dealing with the cruisers in the ex. tra European waters. Lord Selborne says 1t has been decided to withdraw the less effective ships of the North American and West Indies station and 10 add to the station ships of a new particular service squadron which the admiralty has decided to constitute. Naval cadets and boys in training will here after be transferred from the training ships to this particular ser vice squadron. which will be composed of six or eight modern fighting ships which will be combined into one squad ron for training under the commander, ln-chief of the North American station.
 Tn conclusion Lord Seiborne out lines the places for the naval maneu. vers Of 1905 and 1906. which will have for their object the testing of the new. scheme which will result in consio, erable saving In the estimates and the object of which Is that Con a declara. tion of war the fighting efficiency of the fieet shall be complete and instan, faneous."