MR. GIBSON BOWLESI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury are His Majesty's Government aware that, by the Convention ratified on 22nd September, 1902, Chili and the Argentine Republic undertake to reduce their fleets within one year from that date, and that consequently two first class battleships of the latest type, costing together about £2,200,000, and recently launched by Messrs. Vickers and Messrs. Armstrong, respectively, are now for sale; have His Majesty's Government considered the change in the present proportion of foreign navies to that of Great Britain which would result from the acquisition of these ships by a Foreign Power; if so, what steps do they propose to take to prevent the consequent diminution in the relative strength of the British Navy.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe important point to which the hon. Member calls attention has been considered—and 1120 carefully considered—by the Admiralty; and they have clearly come to the opinion that the ships which are for sale are not suitable for their purposes, and that it would not be advisable to buy them.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThat is not the Admiralty view.