The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-31
.LLOYD-CEORGE'S FORESIGHT PROVEN Navy Expenditure to Be
 Greatly Decreased KING NO SPORTSMAN Georges Lack of Interest in Sports Causes ppointment-ROyal
 Couple to Visit Paris
 in Month of May
By PHILIP EvERETv

London, March -(speeial.)-The Brit ish financial year. which practically ended yesterday, the new fiscal year beginning tomorrow gives one more proof of Mir Lloyd I. Georges remarkable grasp of finance and almost prophetic foresight for in spite of the immense falling off in exports and imports due to the coal strike, the chancelors estimated revenue Of 1S1, ,621, GOO pounds ($90S 1o5, ,000) proves to be correct almost to a penny A deficit. which the Tories had hoped to see. Is at any rate out of the question and when the exact figures become known. it is almost certain that there will be a quite substantial surplus. To Americans it will be particular interesting to know that the postoffice will show a surplus. the revenue about $7,5Oo.oOO more than estimated: Evidently the railroads of Great Britain are satisfied with smaller spols than that of America.
 During the coming year Great Britain will spend $1,5355oO less on her navy than last year, unless Germany unex- pectedly decided to increase her present naval program consderably-a thing which is exceedingly unlikely to happen. When the new financial year begins to- morrow there will however, be under construction the following imposing num- ber of ships--10 battleships of the super dreadnaught class, 6 battle-cruisers, in- cluding one each from Australia and New Zealand; second-elass protected cruisers, including two for Australia: {: ? unarmored cruisers, 31 destroyers. 15 submarines. including two for Australia. and two gunboats.
 Of the four batteships provided for in the 1911-12 program, two the Iron Duke and the Marlborough, have been laid down at Portsmouth and Davenport re- spectively, and two, the Delhi and the Renbow, have been provisionally ordered from Messers, Vickers and Messers Feardmore.
 Of the battle crusiers Mr. Churchill states that Lion has carried out her or dlnary program of steam trials with the exception: opportunity has been taken for carrying out certain alterations which experience has shown to be desirable.
 The two floating docks for Portsmouth and the Medway will be completed in the | financial year; a small floating dock for
 destroyers has been completed and placed at Harwich: and one for submarines. tc be stationed ultimately at Dover, will be
 completed at the end of this month. | There is nothing in this ship-buildine | program which can In any way be re.
 garded as provocative by Germany. while
 at the same time it preserves British naval supremacy unimpaired.
 1 The duties of an English king. whC
 fin comparison with an American presi
 dent is a mere fgurehead without any
 real powers of any kind, are not very onerous. but he IS expected to give per sonal encouragementNo the sports, deal
 to the heart of every Englishman. Klne George does not seem to come quite III | to the standard however. and there i. considerable grumbling on that account | Unlike his father. King Edward. tn,
 present king takes absolutely no interes | in horse racing. though he still keep up the racing stables. and 1t is a wei | known fact that the queen~is very mucf | opposed to racing with it's inevitabl, gambling.
 It has been hoped. however that tn, king, like the German Emperor, would l interest himself in yachting. and that
 new "Britannia' would be commissioned
 to compete and show the royal colors il
 the principal yacht races at Cowes a elsewhere, but nothing has been done anc | 1t is quite certain now that l<ini | George has no ambition to win trophies
 at sea.
 1 The old 'Brltannla however, mas peer thoroughly overloaded and with its nev
 deckhouse its cabins and its bathrooms. i 1 is now one of the most comfortable pleas ure crafts in English waters It Is t' he used for short runs during the Cove
 week and it is possible that the princ' of Wales may go for short cruise il her during the latter part of July. Queer | Mary who has no particular love for tn sea, will indulge in some boating on thu upper reaches of the quiet little Thames quite in keeping with her rather bour geois tastes