§ MR. BELLAIRS (Lynn Regis)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether the Board have any official information showing that the explosions in the case of the American cruiser "Maine," the Brazilian battleship "Aguidaban," the Japanese battleship "Mikasa," and the French battleship "Iena," were due to spontaneous explosion of smokeless or nitro-powders; and whether, in the cases of the spontaneous explosions of cordite in the "Revenge "some years ago and in "Fox" last year, a quantity of cordite was found to be in a very deteriorated condition.
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. EDMUND ROBERTSON, Dundee)It would be manifestly improper for me to make any statement in regard to the foreign battleships in question; and as regard the second part of the Question the reply is in the negative.
§ MR. BELLAIRSWould it not be proper for the right hon. Gentleman to answer the Question, seeing that a Commission has already reported, and the Report has been published in the Press?
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONI do not think so.
§ LORD R. CECIL (Marylebone, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty if he will state the date of the spontaneous explosion of a six-inch cordite cartridge in the magazine of the "Fox" last year; whether it was subsequently found that a quantity of the cordite was in a deteriorated condition; and whether he can afford any information as to the name of the maker of the cordite and its age.
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONThe date was 31st October. The Answer to the second part of the Question is in the negative, but cordite stowed in the same magazine was destroyed as a precautionary measure. The cordite in question was eight years old. There is no reason to suppose that the ignition was due to any defect in manufacture, and it is not therefore considered desirable to give the name of the maker.
§ MR. ARTHUR LEE (Hampshire, Fareham)Was not the explosion due to the deterioration of the cordite? If not, what was the cause?
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONIt is supposed that the cause was high temperature acting on a weak spot in the cartridge in question.
§ MR. COWAN (Surrey, Guildford)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty how many of our fifty-one battleships, twenty - eight armoured cruisers, and seventy-six unarmoured cruisers have refrigerating apparatus for their magazines in order to prevent the risk of deterioration to cordite which is caused by high temperature.
§ MR. EDMUND ROBERTSONShips at present under construction are being fitted with magazine cooling arrangements, and steps are being taken to equip ships on tropical stations with apparatus of this description at once. The remaining ships will be fitted as the necessary machinery is delivered.
§ MR. BOWLES (Lambeth, Norwood)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War how many cases of the spontaneous explosion of cordite in magazines occurred last year; whether the magazine which exploded at Woolwich on the 11th February last contained a large quantity of cordite; and whether he can lay the results of the investigation into this explosion upon the Table, or indicate their purport to the House.
§ MR. HALDANEThere was no explosion last year in any magazine under the control of the War Office. The magazine which exploded on 11th February last contained various explosives including a small amount of cordite. It is not considered expedient in the interests of the public service to make known the results of the investigation.
§ MR. BELLAIRSasked whether there were not two explosions in magazines under the India Office.
§ MR. HALDANEsaid that was quite true.
§ MR. LEA (St. Pancras, E.)asked whether those explosions wore due to the presence of mercuric chloride in cordite.
§ MR. HALDANEsaid he thought that was extremely unlikely. He was inclined to think that the cordite was made out there.