Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-09-22

ONDON.-1he relative StrengJn
and modernity of the italian
and British navies has become
- a subject of interest now that
Premier Benito MusSolini has defled
the League over Abyssinia and Great
Britain is disposed to support the
sanctions against Italy which quite
conceivable might lead to tremen-
dous naval battle in the Mediter-
ranean and the Red Sea.
A clash between the navies of Great
the hare and the tortoise all over
again, with perhaps different end
ing. The tortoise-like English feet
far surpasSes the Italians in tonnage
and number of ships, but ehe smaller
Italian ships are much faster and are
backed up by greater submarine and
air forces. No one can predict at
this stage whether Great Britain will
continue to rule as mistress of the
Mediterranean, but it is conceded that
Premier Mussolini has rebuilt Italy's
navy and made it first-class fighting
force.
The unfriendly meeting of these two
armadas might produce another Bat
tie of Jutland. To this day the
Britons are still discussing who won
that battle. They still think they did,
although they suffered heavier losses
and failed to trap the smaller and
faster German ships.
Close Enough for Accident.
A million tons of warships are ma
neuvering in the Mediterranean this
week under a dozen flags, but chiefly
Great Britain's, Italy's and Frances.
Whether the French feet will join
Great Britain in the sanctions against
Italy is doubtful at this moment.
Meanwhile, the Italian and the
British fleets are getting dangerously
close to the increasing possibility of
an accident" which might touch off
things. Something ominous is seen
in the fact that the italian men-of-
war have been accommodating in the
last few weeks in Greek waters, call
ing unannounced at Greek ports on
the pretext of being forced in by
storms. The Italian ships have been
lurking around Navarino, Greek port
famous in the history of naval battles,
where a division of the British fleet,
consisting of battleshipS, 8 cruisers,
As destroyers and 2 aircraft carriers,
is to visit between September rs and
October is, which comedies with the
time for the expected start of the
Italian invasion of Abyssinia. The
British also will visit Corfu, the sore
spot between Italy and Great Britain.
Premier MuSSolini seized that island
from the Greeks, but the British
compelled him to drop it.
Great Britain'S role as the protector
of Greece was emphasized this month
when King George at Balmoral enter
tanned the former King George, who
is awaiting a recall to the Greek
throne.
Italy Outnumbered at Sea.
There have been all sorts of con-
flicting ideas as to the relative strength
and modernity of the British and 1tal-
ian fleets, but the latest information
obtainable from the admiralty today
shows that Britain has IL battleships
against Italy's four, SO cruisers against
Italy's "a and 1859 f1otilla leaders and
destroyers against Italy's "a. How
ever, Italy has SO submarines against
Britain's 81 and has greater building
program under way, including two OF
the largest battleships in the world,
which will soon be launched at Genoa
and Triest. The battleships are the
Littorio and Vlttorio Veneto, each OF
IS, 900 tons, with speed Of 80 knots
and an armament of 16 and Is inch
guns.
Four older dreadnaughts are being
modernized and their speed raised to
26 knots. Italy will soon have l9
cruisers, the fastest in the world-sev-
eral have exceeded 40 knots-and SIS
destroyers with a speed of SO knots
The submarine force is being increased
to II.
When the building program is COM
plete the italian Navy will comprise
capital ships, 7 eight-inch-gun cruis-
ers, IL six-inch-gun cruisers, 100 de-
stroyers and 80 submarines. With
few exceptions, the fleet will consist
OF modern ships faster than any other
feet.
The personnel of the italian Navy
totals $4,000 and can be raised to
IS 900 on short notice.
Britain Sends Reinforcements.
To meet any menace from this d.
rection, Great Britain has Just REIN
forced her Mediterranean Aeet with