§ Mr. ASHLEYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that the weight of metal thrown in one discharge of the guns of the Japanese battleship of the "Sutsu" class is 11,710 lbs., and from the guns of the British "St. Vin- 1012 cent" class 9,000 lbs.; and whether he is in a position to assure the House that the British ships of this year's programme will not be inferior in gunfire to these Japanese vessels?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe hon. Member may rest assured that the British battleships of the "St. Vincent" class and of this year's programme will not be inferior in gun-power to the Japanese vessels.
§ Mr. ASHLEYDoes the right hon. Gentleman deny that the "St. Vincent" class is inferior in gun-power to the "Sutsu" class in the Japanese navy?
§ Mr. McKENNANo. What I am denying is the standard of measurement adopted by the hon. Gentleman. The gun-power of the ship is to be measured not by the weight of metal it can throw on broadside, but by the probable hits.
§ Viscount HELMSLEYIs there any reason to suppose that the Japanese are less likely to hit the target than we are?
§ Mr. McKENNAYes. There is much less reason to suppose that they would be able to hit with all these large guns and the small guns at the same time.
§ Mr. ASHLEYWhy is every country except ours having 12-inch guns and we are only having 11-inch guns?
§ Mr. McKENNAWe are not having any 11-inch guns at all.
§ Mr. LEECan the right hon. Gentleman say when these new standards of measuring the accuracy of gunfire, as compared with the weight of metal, were adopted by the Admiralty?
§ Mr. McKENNASince the adoption of fire control and recent developments of measurement of gun-power, a very different measurement of the standard of battleships has arisen.