§ Mr. ASHLEYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the German unarmoured cruiser "Emden," of 3,540 tons, is armed with 12 4.1-inch guns, and has capacity for 900 tons of fuel; that the Brazilian unarmoured cruiser "Bahia," of 3,400 tons, is armed with 10 4.7-inch guns, and has capacity for 650 tons of fuel; and whether he will state in what respect the British unarmoured cruiser "Boadicea," of 3,300 tons, armed with six 4-inch guns, and having a capacity for 450 tons of fuel, is superior to these foreign ships.
§ Mr. McKENNAA direct comparison between these three vessels cannot be made in the absence of complete data for the foreign cruisers; but the fuel capacity of the "Boadicea" is very much larger than stated—in fact the figure would have to be more than doubled.
§ Mr. ASHLEYDo I understand the right hon. Gentleman to in any way challenge the figures I have given with respect to foreign cruisers?
§ Mr. McKENNANo; I could not challenge them with any certainty. I think they are fairly accurate, but I really could not say whether they are entirely accurate. The figures in regard to British ships are accurate.
§ Mr. ASHLEYDoes the right hon. Gentleman maintain that the British cruisers are superior to the others?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe hon. Gentleman will observe that in the case of one foreign ship he gives the fuel capacity as 650 tons, and that of the British ship named as 450 tons. The British is more than twice as much as that, but I will not say how much more than twice.