Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-11-18
NORTHSEA MANEUVERS
British Fleet Maintained is Match For Any Two European
 Powers.

maneuvers just concluded by tn
 British channel fleet, assisted by on
 division. of the home fleet, have sat
 isfied those who had been led to be 1 lieve that the present governmen
 was not maintaining the two powe
 standards, that this was an entirel.
 erroneous conclusion. Despite tht
 fact that a large number of ship'
 have been drafted into the reserve
 with nucleus crews, the admiralt!
 placed at Admiral Lord Charle.
 Beresford's command for these eX
 ercises a fleet more than a match fol
 the combined fleets of any two Euro
 pean powers, and this without draw ing from reserve or the two other home divisions or the Mediterranean feet
 The display, fol beyond the size of the fleet nothing has been allowed to leak out regarding the maneuvers has given Britishers renewed pride in their first line of defense. But while this is cause of satis- faction, criticism of the policy of the admiralty has been almost silenced by the publication of the building programme. Foreign experts may condemn the large battleships of the Dreadnought type, but the Britisher believes in them and the announce ment that within two years Great Britain will have a fleet numbering round dozen of these monsters. has been received with the greatest en- thusiasm.
 The Dreadnought, the first of this fleet, is undergoing a second series of trials, which will determine defi- nitely what changes if any are to be made in the ships now building or to be laid down during the present financial year. It was announced some weeks ago that the St Vincents, work on which class of vessels is to commence before the end of June next, would be armed with 135 inch guns, in place of the 12 inch of their predecessors, but there has been change in this policy and the larger guns, which are still being eXperi- mented with, Will be reserved for a later type of ship now being planned. The St Vincents. therefore, like their immediate predecessors, will carry ten 12 inch guns and twenty inch guns to repel torpedo attacks. They will, however, have more armor pro- lection, thus giving them the same offensive power but stronger de- fensive qualities than the earlier yes sells.
 With the launch of the Superb, November ', the position of Great Britain in regard to ships with heavy armament of guns, all of large calibre, is as follows:
 The Dreadnought, ten 12 inch guns, in full commission.
 The Lord Nelson and the Agamem- non, four 12 inch and ten 92 inch, about ready for commissioning.
 The Bellerophon, the Temeraire | and the Superb, ten 12 inch, launched | and completing.
 The Invincible, Indomitable and | Infexible, eight 12 inch, launched and completing.
 The St Vincent, the Collingwood | md an unnamed ship, to be laid town with the present financial year.
 The British taxpayer is already beginning to count the cost of build ng and maintaining this fleet of great battleships and he will soon lave to provide more money, for the ldvent of big ships means increased lock accommodation. The first new lock for the Dreadnoughts is to be quilt at Portsmouth at cost of S5,- 100000 and others will follow at the nore important naval stations as necessity demands.