New-York tribune., 1909-07-13
The FRENCH NAVY
cond;tion Wrctched-Feof"rs'
Of shpbdIding ProgrG" me-


na'..-- investigation d. ''', x,o+s Not
r,elcssse discloses ai''i ms ,,,-,z make
Is u 80 diversified types of silltS
only the ooSo',. t-+arfcr TO those Of countries
the navy s.+.5 rl74 homogeneous system
that hS's - armament, but the docks anu
cOnsI most laInentable condition sup
hsrbors Ai' - -,+5,r stores and equipments are
pies o. - must re replenished al emu
dssn6'@''--7 The discipline and esprit ou
nOas ca - and men have fallen heIo" 'i'e
cdp. r,s nublic and Parliament are a.
staho0'o, - N the dangers Of the PreSeil'
hsi So, 80. and the trend Of feeling ioI lhe
nsval CONC Years favors the granting OF
hrst nm z9,,,res now demanded as q IaIloli0l
naval n picard. the Minister Of Marine
ndceSs-'s -, +ra Sr,perior Naval Council
srpp~ -, - council has completed the snip
II5 ,r-or,n,a which has this week re-
buli'-'s .s,-ee-7ent Of the Minister OF Ma
oeiFe1 -. ~ rla-l extends over perlod OF
rnS According TO its PROVISIONS 'ilo
fI'e5. - IN 1925 will comprise foTty-IlNe
fIeIO- twelve cruisers. sixty torpedo
0S'-'.-- .;,+-,--faslr smaller torpedo catchers
oA''.'o.s Science and sixty-four submarines
10 - stand only ten battleshlps' no"
As -, she sins. viii be available as
N-H.N Mrs in the reoreanized navy nlJeeh
- 50 that. allowing for superahllua
yeas -,,-7rs- q new ships to be built oe-
uoi1 10 and 1923 Is 22T. OF these, thirty
W. ta-1asl7ir2s Of - coo tons. twelve cruls-
Nv -noaa -or,s fortv-three torpedo catc2ers
ooo +o-s eig,rv-four torpedo catcheTs OF "o'
- .-s 4frv-tllree submarines.
'o-s .-.-.1 council has fixed the cost Of each
,...,..,in a. s740a0.O0a The cruisers are TO
., average OF $3.50 2 ton. the torpedo
sors $3.50 2 ton and the submarines S%"
This construction programme VIII re
- o, arnenditlre Of S541. .2ooe", II should
- however. that nearly S52,ooe" has
- : .-,,-orr+sted for ships already laid down
80 IN round figures the carrying out o. tie
=. ,,;rp,,;l-ing programme will cost 500
naooao This means that the present naval
,-,s,5i-r-e must be increased by Sl2."HtV'
-..- z-bioh will bring the French naval bud
:. =, ~ sSa0n0O10 The German naval bud
= = sa- cor -re last five years considerably eX-
cee5ed this sum.
salient feature Of this plan for the reor-
,,r;za+,on Of the navy IS that Il is the first
80 hat France has officially recognized the
e1-,,irs sl,rerforfty q the ''all-big- gun
,--o-sd- shin and the unification of arma-
-,s-,s The Naval Council closely watches the
s,cirIss -@ construction adopted in the United
States and the French experts consider that
.b hss- scout cruiser aaoat IS the United States
-;ss- Chester Some at least. Of the proposed
-nissrs Mill he supplied with turbine engines
France Is seriously Handicapped by the great
length Of tine required 10 complete warshlp
r,- svs-nnls the bartleship Verite, designed un-
s.- ,be 1870 programme, was laid lown in May
la5 and Was not finished until June, 1AlS-
sai, of The Terirs class could have been bulLt
Il Great Britain within year. instead OF SIX
wears This delay is mainly due TO the $40"
,vo-k in The French construction yards. and also
n the constant changes introduced by the
French naval engineers. These officials, While
Ys.rlr endeavorlng 70 secure the latest lnVen-
,ions and improvements. end by rendering
nearly al their ships obsolete, IN some cases
even before they are launched. The latest TYP
Of French cruiser actually completed Is the
Ernest Renan With an indicated horsepower
ot g?.7g0. she made a speed on her fuli power
tral q a q knots which is claimed as record
for sn armored cruiser fitted with reciprocating
engines This IS however, considerably beEl-'ld
the full power trial Of the United States cruiser
Chester which, with her turbine engines al
tained 265 knots. The Ernest Renan is sister
ship Of the Waldeck-R0usseau launched a year
ago and OF the Edgar Cuinet, which should be
ready 70 20 into commission during the present
sumner. These are the best armored scout
cruisers in the French navy. They are OF 10 'Oo
ioas each
Ths Investigations made BY NJ DelcassG and
ths parliamentary commission show that there
has been during the last five years grave neS4I-
gence il the departments Of construction sup
ply and equipment. The Mediterranean and
Northern squadrons have not their regulation
oompenents Of shells. Disorder and 1aForltlsIh
appear 10 have prevailed in making contracts
Ministers in many cases have not selected the
type Of boiler unanimously approved by the ex-
aiming boards of officers and engineers, ana
hsFe adopted other types without giving salts
iaciory reasons for setting aside the advice OF
ne technical commissions. As an instance Of
ne disorder that has prevailed in the admin
itrstion Of the navy, il may be mentioned that
although the six battleships Of the Danton
oass f18010-ton all-big-gun' ships) were or
neec il 1906 the type Of their shells was not
eeaoso upon until February. 1909, 50 that none
u usse vessels is likely TO have any amnu-
'-1on until some time has elapsed after they
'-aA nave gone into commission. Many similar
sSS OF negligence have been brought TO light
:. Deioasse and his hard working investiga-
~ eomr1ttee- The Jena catastrophy and
= NlTece9ented series Of disasters had spread
~ ~s and shaken confidence. Discipline is
= a4Rnlned by socialist ideas and by the weak
-. - ana indecision Of the authorities in dealing
,iikes - strikes in the dockyards- The Inserts
~'u1nes'-the men Of the naval reserve-have
- 1or months. and still remain in state of
- revolt They are ''on strike at MarseiIles.
- - :! their action have paralyzed the depart
" merchant ships from that port, which. If
I-- 'esiS SO continue, must dwindle into minor
aeatre '1'-e1 al 0'iiiiiiei eia'
pso.-, present Minister Of Marine. NJ. Alfred
ttoafd' vas at first DISCOURAGED AZ the Lament
sa, .1usnon' but. greatly TO his credit, he has
- =. himself resolutely at the task Of clean,n,
,- - Augean stable. There is vet snlendid ma
- r. N the way Of officers and men in the
Picao. navy, and fl is TO be hoped that NJ
gye..- "ho enjoys the full confidence of NJ.
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