§ Mr. BURGOYNEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he had been informed that a private Italian shipyard had recently secured the contract for the construction of an armoured vessel of the largest size for a foreign country; and, if so, whether he would tell the House the nation for which it was being built?
§ The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Mr. McKenna)The answer to the hon. Member's question is in the negative.
§ Mr. BURGOYNEWill the right hon. Gentleman make inquiries as to whether such a vessel was recently placed with Orlando Brothers, of Leghorn?
§ Mr. McKENNAI have no information on the subject.
§ Mr. BURGOYNEasked the First Lord whether a large armoured ship was under construction in this country for Brazil; and, if so, if he would state when the was laid down and when it was anticipated that she would be launched and completed?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe answer to the first part of the hon. Member's question is in the affirmative. The vessel was laid down in February, 1910. It is not known when she will be launched or completed.
§ Mr. BURGOYNEasked the First Lord if he would state on what dates the "Ajax" and "Audacious," and the battleship cruiser to be built at Palmer's yard were laid down; and whether a name had yet been allotted to the latter
§ Mr. McKENNAThe armoured cruiser has been named the "Queen Mary"; and the dates for the laying down of these three vessels are as follows:—"Ajax," 379 27th February, 1911; "Audacious," 23rd March, 1911; "Queen Mary," 6th March, 1911.
§ Mr. BURGOYNEasked whether the "Australia" and "New Zealand" would be sister ships to the "Indefatigable" in armament and speed; and, if not, what armament they would carry?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe "Australia" and "New Zealand" will be sister ships to the "Indefatigable" in armament and speed.
§ Mr. BURGOYNEasked the First Lord if he would state the displacement, horsepower, speed, and armament of the cruisers "Sydney" and "Melbourne"; and when it was anticipated they would be completed?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe figures asked for by the hon. Member are:—Displacement, 5,400 tons; horse power, 25,000; speed, 25½ knots; armament, eight 6-inch guns, two torpedo tubes; contract date for completion, August, 1912.
§ Mr. ASHLEYasked the First Lord if he could state the estimated expenditure on fuel in the British and German navies for 1911–12?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe estimated expenditure in the British Navy for 1911–12 on steam vessel coal, patent fuel, oil fuel, and petroleum spirit—including freight on first delivery—is £1,988,000. The German Naval Estimates for 1911–12 make provision for the expenditure of £915,110 on coal for the Fleet. The freight, if any, is not shown separately but may be included in these figures.
§ Mr. ASHLEYCan the right hon. Gentleman give the details of the figures?
§ Mr. McKENNAI have given them to the hon. Gentleman exactly as they appear in the German Estimates. I am unable to give him further information.
§ Mr. ASHLEYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, if he was not in a position to give official information, he could state any particulars of the German naval reserves drawn from unofficial sources?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe conscripts who form the bulk of the naval personnel are, under ordinary circumstances, placed in the Naval Reserve for four years on completion of their term of compulsory service, 380 and during this period are under obligation to do two trainings of not more than eight weeks each. They are then placed in the Seewehr 1st Levy for three years or, in certain cases, five years, and are liable to two trainings of from eight to fourteen days. On the expiration of this period they are placed in the Seewehr 2nd Levy until thirty-nine years of age, and in time of peace are not liable to undergo training but may serve voluntarily. They then pass into the Lansturm until the age of forty-five.
§ Mr. ASHLEYCan the right hon. Gentleman tell us what are the numbers available of German reservists in time of war?
§ Mr. McKENNAApproximately in the first reserve there would be two-thirds of the number of the active service personnel; that is to say, if there is a personnel in the coming year of 60,000 there would be approximately 40,000 in the first reserve.
§ Mr. YERBURGHasked what will be the strength of the German Fleet in battleships distinguished as "Dreadnoughts" and pre-"Dreadnoughts" on the completion of the Navy Act of 1900, as amended in 1906 and 1908; and what is the latest date these ships are to be ready for service?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe German Fleet Law with its amendments provides for thirty-eight battleships. In 1920 Germany will possess thirty-nine of these ships, of which twenty-two will be "Dreadnoughts."
§ Mr. YERBURGHasked what will be the number of battleships distinguished as "Dreadnoughts" and "pre-Dreadnoughts" under the present programmes in 1915 of the following Powers, namely, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, and Japan?
§ Mr. McKENNAAssuming that in calculating the number of pre-"Dreadnoughts" it is intended to include all those battleships which are less than twenty years old from date of launching, there will probably be completed on 1st April, 1915. under the present programmes of the undermentioned Powers:—
| Pre-"Dreadnoughts". | "Dreadnoughts." | ||
| Germany | … | 21 | 17 |
| France | … | 13 | 10 |
| Italy | … | 8 | 4 |
| Austro-Hungary | … | 12 | 2 |
| Japan | … | 13 | 2 |
§ The corresponding figures for Great Britain are:—
| Pre-"Dreadnoughts." | … | … | 38 |
| "Dreadnoughts " | … | … | 22 |
§ the latter being exclusive of the number that it may be decided to lay down under the 1912–13 programme.
§ Mr. MIDDLEMOREasked how many armoured ships have been provided for the British Fleet in the financial years 1906–7 to 1911–12, inclusive; and how many have in the same period been provided for the fleets of Germany, the United States, France, Russia, Italy, Austria, and Japan?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe following are the figures asked for by the hon. Member, it being understood that in the case of France, Russia, and Austro-Hungary, the financial years begin on the 1st of January; in the case of the United States and Italy, on the 1st of July; and in all other cases on the 1st of April. The figures for Italy and Japan exclude the 1911–12 programmes, of which we have no official information, and consequently cover a period of five years only. In all other cases the period covered is six years:—
| Great Britain | 26 |
| Germany | 22 |
| United States | 12 |
| France | 11 |
| Russia | 4 |
| Italy | 5 |
| Austro-Hungry | 7 |
| Japan | 4 |
§ Mr. MIDDLEMOREDo not these figures show that we have not maintained the two-Power standard against Germany plus any naval Power in the world?
§ Mr. McKENNANo——
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is a matter of deduction from the figures.
§ Mr. MIDDLEMOREasked how many ships of the "Dreadnought" type were now in commission for the British Navy, and how many are at present in dockyard hands?
§ Mr. McKENNAThere are twelve ships of "Dreadnought" type now in commission. Of these, four are in dockyard hands and one other, the "Indefatigable," was commissioned on 24th February last, and is now in contractors' hands re-making steam pipe joints.
§ Mr. MIDDLEMOREIn view of the fact that five of our "Dreadnoughts" are 382 in dockyard hands, does the right hon. Gentleman consider that twenty-nine ships as against the German twenty-one in 1914 gives us an adequate margin?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe hon. Member has not taken into account such foreign ships as may also be in dockyards.
Captain CRAIGasked what sum of money was paid to the German Government for the old ships of the Imperial Navy which were sold to Turkey; and how these sums have been brought into the German Navy Estimates?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe two battleships have been sold for a total sum of £880,626. I understand this sum is to be devoted towards paying off the loan contracted to meet the deficit on the Budget for 1909.
§ Mr. McKENNAThere were two parties to this contract. I am not sure I can always find a buyer.
Captain CRAIGIs it not the policy of the right hon. Gentleman to try to sell our old battleships in a similar way?
§ Mr. McKENNAYes, if we could dispose of battleships and there were no international grounds for not disposing of them, I should be always very happy to sell ships which we do not require at that price.
Captain CRAIGasked, in view of the fact that £1,839,530 is provided in the German Navy Estimates for 1911–12 for the commencement of four armoured ships and their armaments, what is the provision made in our Estimates for 1911–12 for the commencement of the five-armoured ships proposed?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe amont taken for the commencement of the five armoured ships in the 1911–12 programme, inclusive of guns, is £608,776.