The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-30
Promises Unique Exhibition by Bringing Airships Over
 Parliament Building
OIL WILL BE USED AS
 FUEL FOR WARSHIPS
Government Maintains the Greatest Secrecy Concerning Location of Oil Reserves as We'll as
 Sources of Supply

London, March 2s-willam Ewarr Gladstone was the last British statesman who could make popular reading with a speech expounding the annual budget of government appropriations.
 Winston Spencer Churchill has done the same thing for the naval estimates. The young first lord of the admiralty com pelled the House of Commons to listen for two and a half hours while he gave review of the latest achievements in naval science so interestingly that even the little navy men kept their seats to the end
 Battle between ironclads, the first lord described ais more like a battle between two egg shells striking each other with hammers than two men in armor gtrik- ing at each other with heavy swords. ''The offensive power of modern battie- ships is out of proportion to their defen- sive power. Never was the disproportion so marked. In the light of that illustra- tion the importance of good gunnery must come home to us-the importance of hitting first and hitting hard and keep ing on hitting, and the necessity of spending money In arriving at the high est possible efficiency
 Promises Unique Exhibition
 MT. Churchill believes the British navy leads the world in flying. He promised his fellow members a unique exhibition later in the season by bringing a fleet of airships over the Parliament buildings If the House will take it kindly" he re- marked in order to remove the doubts which turk in some breasts as to the existence of air craft in possession either of the naval or military services" The admiralty now possesses 15 air ships, 10 of which are large vessels of more than 40 miles an hour speed with 62 seaplanes and fl ordinary aeroplanes. MT. Churchill declared his belief in the future of the aeroplane, but admitted that the airship had advantages in greater radius of action, grNater carry ing enI'acity and efficiency at night work There are 70 officers and 120 pilots who have received certificates of proficiency from the Aero club. Attached to the ily- ing service altogether are 125 officers aEd 500 men, and MT. Churchill predicted the number would reach 1S0 officers and HOO
 
 When he came to the admiralty two and half years ago there were nine ma chimes. Five stations have been equipped along the coast for housing machines and with quarters for officers and men, and two more are under construction. Special sea plane vessels are being built to accompany the fleets and carry ma chimes.
 "Of course, the heavy sea planes which are developing now" the first lord said, will carry formidable explosives which could be dropped on transports. They carry wireless telegraphy which enables them to signal t12 miles effectually, and they have been quite recently able to re- ceive a message while in the air" Oil for Fuel for Warships On the vital topic of the British navys s steps to introduce oil as fuel for. war ships the first lords explanations were not worthy. principally for what he re- fused to say. The government maintains (COnfinued on Page TwO)