The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-03-25
WALL Of STEEL
GUARDS BRITAIN
THE GREAT FLEET THAT RE
GENTLY PASSED INTO HANDS
OF ADMIRAL MAY.

LONDON, March 6.--At this time a
military Juror is sweeping the coun-
try and wartime drama has arous-
ed something like panic over the
idea of the possible invasion of Bri-
tain. "A glance at the floating wall OF
steel which guards John Bulls island
is comforting and instructive.
Following the assignment Of Admi-
raj Sir william May to the command
of the home fleet comes the announce
ment of the reinforcement of that
fleet, already one of the most powerful
commands in the world.
This command has steadily grown
in importance as the ships of the new
types-Dreadnough and Indomitables
have been passed into it. Now 1t is
rising to its zenith as the only feet
i'm home waters, with the exception OF
the Atlantic fleet. the pivot" force. 10
will continue to he manned on the
nucleus crew principle, but the ships
which will be at full strength will
have the nucleus plus what is known
as the balance crew. of more or
less unskilled ratings always on board
For administrative purposes this new
manning system possesses many ad-
vantage, and therefore it is being ex-
tended to all men-of-war in home wa
ters.
Every ship in commission in British
waters will in future be under the SUI
preme command of one officer and
that officer will be Admiral Sir William
May, the present second sea lord, a
member OF the board which created
the home fleet This development en-
tails the extinction of the channel
fleet, the most important ships OF
which will pass into the home fleet. 1t
also marks a further important stage
in the policy of naval concentration.
The home fleet will comprise twenty
two battleships and battleship cruis-
ers, fully manned at all times, apart
from other ships. 1t will not, how
ever rise to it's full strength until
next spring when it should incluGe:
First Division-Six Dreadnought bat
tleships, carrying sixty 12-inch guns;
two Lord Nelson battleships mount
ing eight 12-inch and twenty 92-inch
guns.
Second division, now in Channel
f1eet-Eight King Edward VII battle
ships, mounting thirty-two 12-inch
ri -tmn
eighty 6-inch quick firers.
Battleship cruiser division - Three
Indomitables, mounting twenty-four
12-inch guns; three Minotaurs, carry
ing twelve 9.2 inch guns and thirty
7.5-inch guns.
Armored cruiser division--Six ar
mored cruisers of 1850 tons of the
; Achilles and Duke of Edinburg class.
Destroyer flotillas-Forty eight de-
stroyers, with scouts and depot ships
and other auxiliaries.
, Submarine fotilla-The submarine
will be developed and raised to a
greater strength.
This section of the home fleet, con-
, shutting the most powerful command
I ever constituted in the history of sea
| power, will consequently mount the
, following heavy guns:
'Twelve-inch, S60-pound shell, l24;
go inch, 36O-pound shell, 100; 7.5-inch
! compound shell, 46; 6-inch, 100-pounC
shell, 100
This will be merely the fully man
i, ned portion of Admiral Mays grea
command, and there will be the i'm
: portanf divisions at the More, Ports
mouth and Davenport, comprising pro
badly eighteen other battleships will
- three-fifths of their full crews Away
" on board, number OF cruisers ant
many torpedo craft all with "thei
balance crews ready TO proceed Of
i board at the shortest notice in accord
ance with an organization which ha
been repeatedly tested with satisfac
tory results. Thus, under the imme
! diate supreme orders OF Sir WilliaI
May there will probably be over %
ships Of war.
The burden that this great 1et
loads upon the nation is well show
in a carefully prepared article by
naval officer Of high rank which al
pe"red in the Standard The artic
charges that Great Britain will |
guilty of criminal economy" If h,
feet construction is not continued c
the two-power standard. To carry OF
this naval policy this officer content
that a loan of $5OO,OOO,OOO will be n
,essary.