§ MR. DU CROS (Hastings)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the contracts for the five destroyers of the 1907 programme have yet been awarded, and, if so, when; and what is the earliest date upon which these vessels can be completed, in view of the fact that some of the twelve German destroyers of the same year are already completed, while at least one of them has done her steam trials.
§ MR. McKENNAThe "Crusader" and "Nubian" were ordered in January, and the "Maori," "Viking," "Zulu," in February of this year. They are all expected to be completed by October, 1909.