§ Mr. ASHLEYasked what ships under construction for Foreign powers were to be armed with guns of 13.5-inches calibre or more?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe "Texas" and "New York" battleships building for the United States Government are the only vessels which are known with certainty to be intended to be armed with guns of 13.5-inches calibre or more.
§ Mr. ASHLEYHas not the right hon. Gentleman any information about German ships?
§ Mr. McKENNAI have given all the information I am able to give on the subject. These are the only two known with certainty.
§ Mr. ASHLEYasked whether any British ships of the "Dreadnought" type, built or building, carry more than ten guns of 10-inches calibre or more in their main armament; whether any Foreign vessels of this type carry more than ten such guns; and, if so, which?
§ Mr. McKENNANo British ships of the "Dreadnought" type now built carry more than ten such guns. Thirty-one Foreign ships built or building carry more than ten such guns, and I will circulate their names with the Votes. [See Written Answers this day.]
§ Mr. ASHLEYasked whether the largest and most powerfully-armed vessel present at the naval review on 24th June would be under a Foreign flag?
§ Mr. McKENNAIt is believed that the United States ship "Delaware" will be the largest ship at the review, her normal displacement being 100 tons more than the "Neptune," the next largest ship. The armaments are very similar, except that the "Delaware" has fourteen five-inch guns against the "Neptune's sixteen four-inch.