New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-10
FRENCH NAVAL STRENGTH
Republic Not Maintaining Her
Supremacy in Mediterranean.
NEED PER-DREADN0UGHTS
M. Delcasse's Programme Con-
templates an Expenditure
of S360,000,000.
Paris. Sept. |.

4 Paris, sept. L.
After the review Of the fleet next week
at Toulon the maneuvres VIII be re-
sumed. continuing until September IT,
! NJ. Delcasse, French Minister Of Marine
has devoted ali his energy and intelli-
/ gence to the Augean task OF putting the
navy to rights and pounding II INTO
proper shape. after the errors and neg
| lect of previous administrations. The
naval force under the flag OF Nice-Ad-
miral Jaurtguiberry will he the most
Powerful French feet ever assembled
I II consists Of eighteen battleships. nine
cruisers. twenty-eight destroyers. two
arsenal ships for placing mines, besides
twelve submersibles and sixty torpedo
beats Among the eighteen battieshipS
/ there will be five new Dreadnoughts or
: the DantOn class.
/ This feet is stronger than any naFai
fore, that Germany could place in tn
Nediterrancpn hut is still not sufficient
! Ia establish French supremacy IN the
/ Mediterranean If opposed not by GER
many alone but 10y the fleets Of Germany
and IF ~ TWO other nations Of the
Triple Alliance-Italy and Austria Hun
gary This inferioriy pf the naval
} strength of France in the Mediterranean
! is Of vital Importance when one bears I'm
! mind that an essential condition Of the
Anglo French entente is that France
should he able to maintain absolute su-
premacy ll the Mediterranean, thus
! leaving the whole British navy free to
act in the Atlantic. the North Sea and
/ I'm the Far East.
/ NJ Deicasse. Minister % Marine. has
succeeded in awakening parliament and
/ public opinion to the necessity Of making
! a strenuous patriotic effort to have a
navy strong enough 20 deal with any
/ combination lat can be brought against
/ il in the Mediterranean. Failing TO 90
! this. France .uns the risk ot losing Al
gcria. Tunis and her prospective inter
! estS i'm Morpcco The French naval bill.
which is before parliament was drawn
/ Up by Vice Admiral De Lapeyrere eigh-
teen months ago. This week IL was
I adopted 10y the naval commission of the
Chamber Of Deputies and the rappor-
teur of this commission. NJ. Nail. Deputy
Of Lorient (Morbihan). urges It's immedl-
ate adoption. In the present temper Of
the French people there is hut little
doubt of its being carried out. especially
when supported 10y NJ. Decasse, who
considers IL a measure Of national safety.
The report begins with the humiliatine
admission that France. instead Of being
the second naval power. rs in 1890.
has now fallen TO the fourth, and
this place is now contested by Japan.
/ The main lines of NJ. DelcassA's naval
: programme require the immediate con-
struction and completion IN 1920 Of six
teen battleships OF the super Dread
nought class. six cruisers. twenty de-
stroycrs. eighteen submarines Of seven
hundred tons each, thirty-two sub
marines Of four hundred tons each and
tour ships for laying mines. The cost Of
building this new navy is estimated at
S24O.0OO,OO0. The total cost OF the pro-
gramme amounts 10 S36O,o1,Ooo. About
$40, 100000 of this is 10 be devoted TO
deepening and charging the naval ports
and arsenals. only one Of which. Toulon.
| is to-day big enough 10 dock either of
the two most powerful French battle
ships. the Jean Bart or the Courbet, of
$500 tons displacement each, which Q
to be launched before the md OF the
present year.
IL should he noted that Great Britain
has sixteen basins or docks capable OF
receiving vessels Of the Jean Bart class.
and Germany has twelve. inclusive of
floating docks. ". Delcasse points out
that this programme is the minimum
one absolutely necessary to insure the
integrity OF French territory. and tina II
will give France in 1920 a fleet VIII h.
although considerably inferior to that
which Germany will possess in 1920, will
nevertheless. in view of the Anglo
French entente and the Russian Ali
ance. answer all practical requirements.
/ An interesting feature OF the French
naval manpuvres at Toulon this month
VIII ~ tNptl WIN dclldA craft
as scouts, and especially 10 discover
the whereabouts OF submarines. NJ.
Delcasse recognizes the immense naval
value Of aeroplanes. and Commandant
Daveluy has been appointed di-
rector of the department; Of naval avia =
ton. A naval aeroplane station has been
organized at Lazaret Bay. near Touon.
and the monoplane OF Ensign Conneau.
whose exploits are we'll known. will
probably be adopted as the model for Use
in the French navy. IL should he re-
membered that at the suggestion of NJ.
! Delcasss a French naval airmsn. NJ
Auburn. recently flew far out 10 sea from
| Cherbourg and AT a height of five hum
! drod yards carried out important obser-
yations. and easily located submarines
travelling thirty Yards below the surface.
Ensign Conneau. with his monoplane,
will be attached 10 the Jules Ferry. Vice
Admiral Jaureguiberry' flagship. during
/ the rnanCuyres off Toulon. &. l. Il.