New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-11
BRITISH NAVAL PLANS.
Lord Set6Orne on Modern Strategic
Observation-Disclosures of Fleet.

London. Dec. 1o-In an official memorandum, Is
sued to-day, dealing with the future distribution
and mobilization of the British fleet. Lord Selborne,
First Lord of the Admiralty. mal,es some interest
ing remarks on the causes for a revision OF the
strategic principles which up to the present time
have governed the distribution OF the fleet from
the period when the electric telegraph did not exist
and wind was motive power" The development of
foreign navies throughout the wcrd constitutes in
Lord Selborne's view. a and definite stage Of
naval affairs in the Western Hemisphere. He
says:
1T The United e States is forming navy the power
amount OF money the American people choose to
spend on It. In the Eastern Hemisphere a smaller
The war and not found p Wanting O The Rus
excepto3y 6 mas 0eeR Greatly and with the
transferred or is in of being transferred
maintained their positions in the Medterranean but
tne expenditure thereon has not been increased, as
stands as always. in the forefront. and a new Ger
man navy has come into existence. 1t is navy
cumstanced that it is able to concentrate almost
the whole of its fleet at home ports.
Dwelling the Improvement of the British fleet
Lord Selborne remarks that all the old battleships
have been replaced by modern ships. but still more
significant and far reaching is the fact that Great
Britain Will have within this year twenty-six mod
ern cruisers. built within four years great speed
with ornaments as powerful those of battleships
and altogether great advance anything which
has preceded them.
In studying the questions OF the distribution OF
the warships and the arrangement of stations the
Admiralty. Lcrd Seborne continues has been
guided by the experiences of Japan and Russia in
the present war The Admiralty's ideals were that
the peace distribution of the fleet should also be its
best strategical distribution for and that the
mobilized ships should always be in perfect d
condition fitness for war as the commissioned
ships.
Lord Selborne then details the fleet changes. The
homo fleet henceforth will be called the Channel
fleet. with headquarters at home. 1t will consist OF
twelve batteships and sufficient number of crus-
ers. The present Channel fleet will be renamed the
Atlantic fleet have it's permanent base at Gibraltar,
and consist of eight bat;leships and a sufficient
number of cruisers. Affiliated TO the Channel and
six armored cruisers. commanded by rear admiraIs
and detachable at any time for special services
arrangement Will remain as now constituted. and
will not disappear. as was believed would be the
battIeShlps and attendant cruisers, with us Dase
at Malta The large cruisers attached to this fleet
VIII be called the third cruiser squadron
. The aim OF the Admiralty has been to be sure
that never more than two battleships Of the Chan,
Mediterranean fleets shall be in the dockyards at
the same time
waters, Lord Selborne says it has been decided to
withdraw the less effective ships of the North
the station ships of particular service squad
ron which the Admiralty has decided constitute
transferred from the training ships to this particu
lar service squadron which will be composed of
one squadron for training under the commander
in chief of the North American station. ~
OF ships for the China station will be announced
in the naval budget and outlines the places for the
for their object the testing of the new scheme
which will result in a considerable saving in the
deciaration of war the figRting efficiency of the
fleet shall be complete and instantaneous