New-York tribune., 1912-03-19

cent superiority in battleships and bat
tie cruisers of the, Dreadnought type as
compared with the German navy. as
convenient basis for the next four or
| five years. He pointed out that Great
Britain at present possessed an enor-
| nous superiority in e-Dreadnought
vessels. but as these declined In hghtihS
value the British ratio of new construc-
ton would have to rise above the 90 per
cent standard. Every addition Germany
makes in the way of new ships woulh
accelerate the decline in value OF the
pre- -Dreadnought vessels and render
necessary the augmentation OF new
British construction so as TO meet the
existing German naval law.
| Mr.. Churchill statet that il would be
necessary for Great Britain to construct
four and three Dreadnoughts every year,
alternately for the next six years, and
| added
If we are now, as it seems, to be con-
! frontod with the addition Of two new Ger
man ships in these six years we propose
to meet the addition upon the higher rM rdso
Of superiority by laying down four addl-
| tonal ships in the same period
Mr.. Churchill added that any retarda-
ton or reduction of German construction
would be promptly followed by a proper
tionate measure of reduction in Great
Britain. He illustrated this point py
supposlng that both countries took
holiday in the year 1913 If Germany
did not build her proposed three ships
she would not only save S3ownoou OF
$50, 100000 but her action would auto
matically wipe out no fewer than nNe
British super er-Dreadnoughts, which wouid
be more than Germany could hope to do
in actual warfare. The First Lord con-
tinued:
This is our rosition-that the Germans
,yili moi no gamers i'm naval power by any
increases they may make and VIII not pe
losers from the basis ] have lald up"n py ~
any diminutions. Here Is perfectly pldi,'
plan and arrangement by when Wlthou'
GiplomatiC negotiation, without barEdlllius'
without the slightest restriction ol the , sor
ereign freedom of either power lnH H,r,n
and costly naval rivalry can AT any 'Iiii'
be abated.
Referring to the building programme
which includes four large armored shipS'
eight light armored cruisers, twenty de-
strovers and a number of submarines
Mr.. Churchill said that S3,5OOooO was
to be expended on the construction OF
submarines this year and as regards
the light armored cruisers the Admiralty
had decided to return to smaller typ9
Of vessel as being more useful than the
rccantIv built vessels Of the chatham
class of !. 400 tons. He added:
These light armed cruisers will he the
smallest. cheapest and fastest NesSeIS pN5 p!o
for the British navy. They VIII ne suohS
enough and fast enough TO overhaul anu
cut down any destroyer
Mr.. Churchill briefly referred to the
use of oil as motive power as one Of the
most anxious and most perplexing PROB
lens that the British Admiralty had
ever had to solve. He recognized It's
enormous advantages and superiority
over coal, continuing:
II. az Is speedily promised, internal com,
buStion engines with SufhClent power 10
drive Uarsnirs are perfected thelr auNdh-
tages will be multiplied three or four times
Whether Great Britain could be sure
Of obtaining full supplies of oil or could
accumulate and store In Great Britain
a reserve which would be sufficient FOR
the ever growing requirements OF the
navy and which could be protected from
botn aeroplanes and other injury were
problems constantly engaging the atteh-
ton Of the Admiralty.