§ MR. GOURLEYI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether it is intended during the autumn to mobilise the Channel and Reserve Squadrons, on a similar or larger scale than last year, for the Naval Manoœeuvres; if so, whether, with the large addition of ocean cruisers, it is intended to extend the scope of the experimental operations to the protection of the leading food and cotton ocean routes between the United Kingdom, America, India, and Australia, notifying to owners and commanders of British ships that they will be expected to avoid (if possible) capture by experimental cruisers, in place of instructing the officers of Her Majesty's ships nominally to capture merchantmen under conditions totally opposed to what must exist in actual war?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Lord G. HAMILTON,) Middlesex, EalingSpeaking generally, my answer to the first question is in the affirmative, and to the second in the negative.
§ MR. GOURLEYPerhaps the noble Lord will state how many squadrons are to be mobilised.
§ LORD G. HAMILTONThere will be two fleets—one against the other. I believe the mobilisation will be of such a nature as to be efficient; but the question is of a character that I cannot answer.