§ Mr. CHIOZZA MONEYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he would add to his explanaion of the German Naval Law of 1900 by stating what was the provision made in it for the renewal of battleships after the year 1917; and if he agreed with the explanation of Count von Reventlow that the German Naval Law would call automatically for the laying down of three first-class battleships annually after 1917?
§ Dr. MACNAMARABy the German Fleet Law of 1900, as amended in 1906 and 1908, battleships and large cruisers are due to be replaced in twenty years—this period being reckoned from the date the first instalment for the ship to be replaced was voted, to that on which the first instalment for the replacing ship is voted. Hence in 1918 the first instalments are due for battleships and large cruisers to replace those whose first instalments were voted in 1898, and so on. If correctly reported, Count Reventlow referred to an average annual programme of three large warships, which would include both battleships and armoured cruisers, and this would appear to be correct.