§ MR. YERBURGHI beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty if he will state whether any evidence has been obtained from the experiences of naval manœuvres subsequent to those of 1888 which tends to establish the general correctness of the opinion expressed by Admirals Sir W. Dowell, Sir R. Vesey Hamilton, and Sir F. Richards, in their Report on the 1888 manœuvres, that to maintain an effective blockade of an enemy's squadrons in strongly fortified ports the blockading battleships must be in proportion of five to three, and that the proportion of fast cruisers employed in blockading should not be less than two to one of the blockaded.
§ MR. PRETYMANAlthough the opinion of the Admirals quoted was well founded at the time it was formulated, the subsequent development of torpedo craft of all sorts, including submarines, renders it necessary to regard the whole question of blockade from a different standpoint to that on which they based their calculation. Blockades, if conducted at all in the future, must be arranged on other principles than those then advocated. The figures quoted by my hon. friend can no longer be regarded as applicable.